32 Rhodora [FEBRUARY 
regular flower, superficially resembling that of a Goodyera much more 
than that of a Habenaria and reminiscent of H. psycodes only in color. 
Miss Bryan makes no mention of the column in her description of 
var. ecalcarata; in Dr. Perkins's material, however, this organ shares 
the pelorie tendencies of the perianth. Instead of the usual two 
nearly erect anther-sacs, it develops four, set at various angles in a 
rough half-circle about its upper part. Presumably the four sacs 
represent the two anthers of the simpler orchids, such as Cypripedium, 
and their arrangement, like the almost regular perianth, indicates a 
reversion toward a more primitive and more regular type of flower. 
All the sacs examined produced pollinia, but these were without 
distinguishable glands. "The whole anterior surface of the column 
was strongly viscid; but I was unable to determine whether or not 
the stigma was fully formed and capable of performing its function. 
In both Miss Bryan's and Dr. Perkins's material, all the flowers 
were alike, the peloria not being, as sometimes, confined to a portion 
of the inflorescence. Miss Bryan’s specimens came from Bay View, 
Mich., where several plants were observed to persist for years: Dr. 
Perkins noted only one plant at her station. A precisely analogous 
form of Habenaria fimbriata was collected years ago by H. G. Jesup 
at Lynn, N. H., and described and illustrated by him, but not given 
a name.2—C. A. WEATHERBY, East Hartford, Conn. 
POLYGALA PAUCIFOLIA Willd., forma vestita, n. f., foliis dense 
pilosis, pilis canescentibus. 
Leaves densely pilose with canescent hairs.—NEw HAMPSHIRE: 
rich deciduous woods, northwest base of Fall Mountain, Walpole, 
May 26, 1917, L. A. Wheeler & M. L. Fernald (TYPE in Herb. N. E. 
Bot. Club). 
The common form of Polygala paucifolia has the leaves green 
and quite glabrous except for a slight ciliation and sometimes a 
little pilosity on the midrib. Forma vestita 1s conspicuous when 
growing on account of its pale foliage and at Walpole forms an exten- 
sive carpet.—M. L. FERNALD, Gray Herbarium. 
Vol. 22, no. 253, including pages 1 to 16 and portrait plate, was issued 
28 February 1920. 
? Bot. Gaz. xviii. 189—190 (1893). 
