1918] Churchill,— Smooth-fruited Asclepias syriaca 207 
sometimes with very long and shaggy ones.” And this note is based 
upon a sheet in the Gray Herbarium containing six, more or less 
smooth-fruited inflorescences only, over the following label “Smooth 
and muricate follicles of Asclepias Cornuti, sent by... .” 
In the private herbarium of Walter Deane, at Cambridge, also I 
find a similar series of follicles collected by J. H. Mellichamp in South 
Carolina, verified by Dr. Gray, and also “illustrating variation to 
smooth pod.” Two other specimens of the smooth-fruited form may 
also be cited, one collected by Mr. Deane, at Waltham, Massachusetts, 
August 13, 1910, now in his herbarium, the other in the herbarium 
of the New England Botanical Club, ‘collected by Sydney Harris, at 
Dedham, Massachusetts, September 27, 1896, both with unarmed 
fruit like my Berkshire material. 
Apparently then the echinate character in pods of this species, 
heretofore so much relied upon, is not invariable, and it seems well to 
recognize so signal a departure from an established and familiar type. 
I have therefore ventured to call this Berkshire plant, with wholly 
unarmed follicles 
ASCLEPIAS SYRIACA L. forma inermis, f. n., formae typicae similis 
differt folliculis omnino emuricatis saepius rectis.— Low open ground, 
Lanesboro, Massachusetts, September 14, 1918, Churchill (type de- 
posited in the herbarium of the New England Botanical Club). 
The closely similar specimens cited above from eastern Massa- 
chusetts and South Carolina would seem to indicate that this smooth- 
fruited form will be found widely distributed with the typical echinate- 
fruited one. Further study may disclose other differences which 
would justify a varietal or higher rank than seems at present war- 
ranted. 
DorcHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. 
