240 Rhodora [NOVEMBER 
The specific separation of the plant of eastern North America from 
that of Europe, originally proposed by Alefeld and seconded by Ryd- 
berg, is based on differences of comparatively slight moment. Alefeld! 
in 1856 attempted to distinguish two species, C. umbellata (sensu 
stricto), from Eurasia and the Pacific coast of North America, with 
stigma half as broad as ovary and dull capsule broadest below the 
middle, and C. corymbosa Pursh (as to descr., not syn.), from eastern 
North America, with stigma three-quarters the breadth of ovary, 
and shiny capsule broadest above the middle. His division, however, 
was based on comparatively slight material from America, and I have 
been unable to trace such differences in the abundant material 
examined, although a very slight distinction in the absolute breadth 
of the stigma is shown by the material from the two areas. The 
additional features brought out in Dr. Rydberg’s description of C. 
umbellata (of Europe) are merely average comparative differences of 
slight consequence, and in connection with two or three others indi- 
cated in the detailed descriptions given beyond are of such a character 
as to show that the plants are at most only varietally separable. 
The following descriptive key will serve to show the diagnostic 
characters of the varieties of Chimaphila umbellata. 
Leaves rather prominently veined beneath. 
Capsule 5-6 mm. in diameter. 
Plant usually smaller (about 1.5 dm. high); leaves smaller (usually about 
3.5 em. long), blunt, not mucronulate, with fewer (4-13, usually 8-9) 
blunt teeth; flowers umbellate, rarely subracemose; sepals usually 
ovate, slightly longer than broad; stigma 1.9-2.3 mm. broad; Eurasia 
Var. genuina. 
Plant usually larger (2 dm. high or more); leaves larger (4-7 cm. long), 
acute or rarely obtuse, mucronulate, with more numerous (6-18, 
usually 10-12) sharp teeth; flowers usually more or less racemose; 
sepals depressed-triangular or oval, usually broader than long; stigma 
~ 2.3-2.5 mm. broad; eastern North América......... Var. cisatlantica. 
Capsule 7.5-8.5 mm. thick; plant stout, 2-3.5 dm. high; leaves large 
(5-7 cm. long), with 7-13 acute teeth, very strongly veined beneath; 
flowers racemose; sepals deltoid, usually longer than broad; stigma 
2.0°8.4 Oi Weeks Maxo... eo en eee. Var. mexicana. 
Leaves obscurely veined beneath. 
Plant stoutish, 1.5-3 dm. high; leaves acute, mucronulate, 3-9 em. long, 
with 10-18 acute teeth extending nearly to base; flowers usually race- 
mose, strongly rose-tinted; pedicels usually ascending; sepals depressed- 
deltoid, longer than broad, blunt; capsule 6-7.5 mm. thick; stigma 
2.3-2.6 mm. broad; British Columbia to California... ..Var. occidentalis. 
Plant small, 1-1.7 dm. high; leaves usually narrowly oblanceolate, acute, 
mucronulate, with 4-8 teeth on each side above the middle, 3.5-5.8 em. 
long; flowers racemose or subumbellate, the pedicels ascending or diverg- 
l! Alefeld, Linn. xxvii. 78-84 (1856). 
