1919] St. John,— New Genus of Umbelliferae 181 
their old home, to invade and conquer Gallia, and establish the king- 
dom of France. In commemoration of their birthplace the Francs 
selected this flower for their emblem. In other words “fleur de Lys” 
is an abbreviation of “fleur de la Lys” i. e. “de la rivière de la Lys.” 
CLINTON, MARYLAND. 
PHANEROTAENIA, A NEW GENUS OF UMBELLIFERAE. 
Hanorp ST. JOHN. 
A few scraps of an umbelliferous plant sent by a bee-keeper in Texas, 
have involved the writer in a study of the genus Polytaenia! As now 
treated this consists of one species, P. Nuttallii DC., which ranges 
from Michigan, Iowa, and Kansas southward to Alabama and Texas. 
There is also the var. texana C. & R. from Texas and Oklahoma. 
P. Nuttallii has corky-thickened lateral wings, more prominent than 
the depressed back of the mericarp; conspicuous calyx-teeth; oil-tubes 
superficially indistinct, several in the intervals, in the corky wings, 
and 4-6 on the commissural side. The var. texana has thin lateral 
wings, not corky-thickened, and less prominent and thinner than the 
body of the mericarp, which is dark-lined by the large prominent oil- 
tubes; the calyx-teeth concealed in the emarginate tip of the mature 
fruit; oil-tubes single in the intervals and 2 on the commissural side. 
There are several other differences, in the shape of the fruit and the 
cutting of the leaves, but these are all of a varietal or specific nature. 
On the contrary, the differences in the structure of the fruits of these 
two plants are so fundamental that the two should be treated as dis- 
tinct genera. The new description follows: 
Phanerotaenia gen. nov. Calycis dentes 5 inconspicuiin apice 
fructus summersi. Petala lineari-oblonga emarginata, praemature 
caduca. Stamina dorsifixa. Fructus obovatus emarginatus a dorso 
valde plano-compressus glaber; juga lateralia ampla tenuia aliformia; 
l'This genus was renamed as Pleiolaenia by Coulter and Rose, Contrib. U. S. Nat. Herb. 
xii. 447 (1909), because of the existence of Polytaenium Desv., Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris vi. 218 
(1827), which antedates by two years Polylaenia DC., Mém. Ombell. 53 (1829). This change 
is not necessary under the International Rules, since Polytaenia and Polylaenium differ by two 
letters, even though they are of the same derivation. Internat. Rules Bot. Nomen. Sect. 7, 
Art. 57 (1906). 
