102 Writings of Edward L. Greene. [ ZOE 
Mr. Orcutt, who however regards ‘‘ Hookera Orcutté?” as a 
valid species, has made some observations on the staminodia of 
Brodiea minor that are of interest. He says: ‘‘In examining 
a large number of ‘the flowers of Hookera minor, Britten, in the 
field this spring, I was somewhat surprised to find numerous 
specimens in which the staminodia were changed to perfect fertile 
stamens. The first instance noticed was in a flower evidently 
injured by some insect, but so many examples were found later, 
where the staminodia were partially or wholly changed into 
anther-bearing stamens, that I cannot ascribe it to the work of 
insects. This illustrates how little value can be placed in this 
genuson the unreliable characters of the stamens and staminodia.’’* 
The characters upon which Mr. Greene would separate his 
“ Untfolium liliaceum”’ from Smilacina stellata Desf. or .S. ses- 
stlifolia Wats., it is difficult to say from which for they are not 
easily kept apart, are not at all constant. ‘They vary much in 
different climates and exposures, as Mr. Greene in effect admits 
when at Lake Pend d’Oreille ‘‘where in deep shades of fir and 
arbor vite one meets with plenty of U. sesszlifolium; and here 
too outside of and above the wet woods, on open ground and in 
dry soil, grows the unmistakable U. stel/atum.”+ Miss Eastwood 
has carefully observed Si c/acina stellata as it occurs in Colorado, 
and finds the grown but unripe fruit dark green with darker 
bands; the ripe fruit clear bright red. The distichous zigzag 
stem and plicate leaves are not constant in any of the forms. 
Zygadenus porrifolius Greene Tis Z. elegans Pursh. Mr. 
Greene says ‘‘ none of the segments are unguiculate or much con- 
tracted at base,’’ but the type shows that the inner segments are 
abruptly contracted into a broad claw. 
Calochortus amenus Greene, although compared by the author — 
with the yellow-flowered and much more distant C. pulchellus, 
can hardly be considered more than a rose-colored variety of C. 
albus. The color is not uncommon in typical C. albus, but the 
gland is lower and its scales crisped with shorter hairs. 
* West. Am. Scientist vi, 63. 
t Pitt. ii, 33. 
{ Bull. Torr. Club. viii, 123. 
