26 Rhodora : [FEBRUARY 
publication of the unique Lespedeza leptostachya Engelm., treated 
Lespedeza. angustifolia as specifically distinct from L. capitata, and 
briefly noted the diagnostic characters of the species of the L. hirta 
group. 
Our present-day concept of the American species is based mainly 
on Britton’s paper “The North American species of the genus Les- 
pedeza,’’' published in 1893. All of the twelve species here described 
are now generally adopted under the names used by Dr. Britton, 
with the single exception of L. intermedia, now called L. frutescens; 
and in this case, as shown further on (see no. 5), it is necessary to 
return to the name L. intermedia, in place of L. frutescens proposed 
by Britton in 1894. The account of “The Lespedezas of Missouri,” 
published in 1902 by Mackenzie and Bush,” followed Britton's treat- 
ment rather closely, but contained descriptions and figures of three 
new species and a new variety, while a variety already proposed by 
Britton was raised to specific rank. 
The last important contribution to the knowledge of American 
Lespedezas is contained in A. K. Schindler's “Einige Bemerkungen 
über Lespedeza Michx. und ihre nächsten Verwandten,” which is 
based on work in the herbaria at London and Paris, as well as at Berlin. 
The nomenclature of several of the American species is discussed 
critically, after examination of the type specimens, and a table is 
given showing the modern equivalents of the names used in practi- 
cally all papers of any importance referring to the genus. Latin 
descriptions of most of the American species are given, and attention 
is called to some differences in floral structure not sufficiently appre- 
ciated hitherto. The most novel fact brought out in Schindler's 
treatment is the occurrence of cleistogamous flowers in the group 
composed of L. hirta and related forms, which had previously been : 
characterized in part by the supposed absence of such flowers. 
1. LESPEDEZA PROCUMBENS var. elliptica, var. nov. Leaflets 
narrowly elliptic, nearly or quite four times as long as wide, the larger 
1.8-3.4 cm. long, 4-9 mm. wide; otherwise similar to the typical 
form. 
SPECIMENS EXAMINED: VIRGINIA: In dry meadow, near Lorton, 
Fairfax Co., 16 Sept. 1923, S. F. Blake 8621 (TYPE no. 1,111,347, 
t Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 12: 57-68. 1893. 
? Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 12: 11-19. pl. 1-4. 1902. 
s Bot. Jabrb. 49: 570-658. 1913. 
