1920 Allen,— The Supposed generic Character of Naumburgia 193 
of the species at these stations consisted of the notation, “a casual" 
on one label. It was indicated, however, that the plant is probably 
not of a vigorously weedy nature and never became established in 
America—appearing to be distinctly a waif and not worthy of its 
general recognition in American manuals. 
It is gratifying to be able to add a bit of definite evidence upon 
an occurrence of the species recently brought to light in the herbarium 
of Dr. H. B. Meredith. For many years Dr. Meredith was head of 
the State Hospital at Danville, Pennsylvania. His hobby has long 
been botany, and although probably enjoying most the collecting 
of the less familiar plants of more remote regions, he found a very 
fertile and fascinating field for observation and collection, during 
leisure moments, in the extensive lawns about the hospital. Here 
there appeared from time to time, after the seeding of the lawn, 
weeds of numerous kinds, some of more than usual interest. In this 
habitat Ajuga genevensis, for example, has become established. Most 
of the species noted, however, followed the more usual course of 
strange weeds in lawn-grass and failed to appear the second season, 
or at best lasted but a year or two. 
On learning of my interest in these weeds, Dr. Meredith sorted 
out from his collection a number of them for my examination, and 
under “Sonchus arvensis” we found a good specimen of Crepis 
biennis. The label data reads: “State Hospital lawn, Danville, 
Penna., June 6, 1889. Probably from imported grass-seed." Dr. 
Meredith distinctly recalls the plant and assures me that it did not 
appear on the lawn a second year. 
Through the generosity of the collector the specimen has been 
deposited in the Herbarium of the Philadelphia Academy.—BAvARD 
Lone, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 
THE SUPPOSED GENERIC CHARACTER OF NAUMBURGIA.—Some bot- 
anists maintain Lysimachia thyrsiflora as a genus Naumburgia, dis- 
tinguishing it from Lysimachia by the small, tooth-like staminodia in 
the sinuses of the corolla. On one of the specimens of Lysimachia 
thyrsiflora in the Gray Herbarium, however, is a note by the collector 
—“ teeth in sinuses of corolla abortive.” 
At the suggestion of Professor M. L. Fernald, a number of dissec- 
tions were made from both American and foreign material. It was 
found that the American specimens were consistently characterized 
