1924] Blake,—Notes on American Lespedezas 31 
Schindler’s reference of the type of Hedysarum frutescens to Lespe- 
deza violacea is based on a character which seems to be really distinc- 
tive of this species. Examination of the material in the National 
Herbarium shows that in L. violacea the keel regularly exceeds both 
the banner and the lateral petals, rarely merely equaling the latter, 
while in L. “frutescens” the keel is distinctly shorter than the lateral 
petals and the banner. A new name must therefore be found for the 
plant which has been passing as Lespedeza frutescens. Michaux’s 
L. sessiliflora, as shown above, included as to description both L. 
virginica and L. "frutescens." His specimens preserved at Paris, 
however, are properly to be taken as the types of his species, and as 
they are typical L. virginica according to both Britton and Schindler,' 
the name Lespedeza sessiliflora Michx. must be referred to the 
synonymy of L. virginica (L.) Britton. Lespedeza reticulata (Muhl.) 
Pers. has sometimes been referred to L. “frutescens,” but the type in 
Willdenow’s herbarium is L. virginica var. typica, according to Schind- 
ler. The name to be used for L. frutescens of authors (for example, 
Gray’s Manual ed. 7 and Britton & Brown's Illustrated Flora) is 
LESPEDEZA INTERMEDIA (Wats.) Britton, Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 12: 
63. 1893, based on L. Stuvei var. intermedia Wats. in Gray, Manual 
ed. 6. 141. 1889. 
It may be noted in passing that the binomial Lespedeza frutescens, 
commonly quoted from Britton, Mem. Torr. Bot. Club 5: 205. 1894, 
had been previously made independently by Hornemann in 1815? 
(omitted in Index Kewensis), by Elliott? in 1822, and by de Candolle* 
in 1825, and that in each case reference is made to the name-bringing 
synonym Hedysarum frutescens L. (except in the case of Hornemann, 
where the reference is to Willd. Sp. Pl., which is based on Linnaeus). 
In each case the plant described is L. capitata Michx., but on the 
principle generally followed, at least by American authors, that the 
application of a name in such cases is to be determined by the name- 
bringing synonym and not by the description, the combination 
Lespedeza frutescens (L.) should be ascribed to Hornemann. 
z 
1 According to Schindler (1. c. 631) the material in Michaux 's herbarium under 
the name L. sessiliflora consists of two specimens of L. virginica « typica and a capsule 
of the Old World L. juncea (L.) Pers., but the latter is obviously not connected with 
Michaux’s description. 
2 Hort. Reg. Bot. Hafn. 2: 699. 1815. 
3 Sketch Bot. S. C. & Ga. 2: 206. 1822. 
4 Prodr. 2: 329. 1825. 
