250 
long ; capsules ovato-oblong.—New York and Ohio ; often mistaken 
for LZ. villosa ; pedal, aestival; sepals linear and ovate. [L. thym- 
folia, Mchx., 7, Nova-Czesarea, Aust. ] 
21. L. sessiliflora, Raf. Adpressed pilose: branches diffuse 
virgate; leaves scattered. spreading, petiolate, linear, ciliate, acute ; 
flowers axillary, subspicate or glomerate, sessile; exterior sepals 
linear, not much longer; internal lanceolate——In Florida and Ala- 
bam, near to Z. pauciflora, main difference leaves petiolate, ciliate, 
acute. Near also to Z. Floridana, but flowers sessile. [?] 
Notes on Rafinesque’s Monograph. 
It would appear that Rafinesque has been im too great haste to 
multiply species, and to give names of his own without regard to 
priority. In charity we must allow that, as regards the latter fault, 
the rules of nomenclature were not clearly settled in his day, and in 
both, if he has sinned in the case of this difficult genus, others have 
done the same. He has the merit of pointing out the value of the 
length of the exterior sepals as a distinctive mark, and of trying to 
make out the species of prior writers, although discarding their names. 
Probably all species of Lechea in bud have the exterior sepals 
longer, but as the flowers mature the inner generally surpass the 
outer. Only in one species, in my knowledge, are the outer persist- 
ently longer than, and in three or four equal to the inner. I suspect 
Rafinesque has formed some of his species on the flowering Stage. 
It is not safe to decide till the fruit is mature. - 
It will be noticed that in his generic description he repeats the 
character, seeds 3-9, but mentions no species with 9 seed. Normally 
there should be 6. seed, but the number varies from 1 to 6, and is 
perhaps of secondary value for distinction, I doubt whether any 
Lechea is annual. 
1. L. pulchella. Twice, in different years, in about the same spot 
~ near Pleasant Mills, in the New Jersey Pines, in company with Mr. J. 
S. Merriam, I have met with an abnormally smooth Lechea which an- 
swers pretty well to this description, except that we did not see the 
full bloom, and cannot vouch for the white stigmas. I took it for a 
local sport of what we call J.. minor, Lam., some of which regularly 
pubescent I think we found not far off, though this latter species 
does not abound, I think, in the Pines. If L, minor, it is certainly a 
singular form. 
2. L. cinerea. This is a pretty correct description of what I 
have distributed to correspondents as L. Torrey. However, there 
may be two distinct forms in Florida, one 3 seeded, the other 6 
seeded, and the name Z. Zorreyt, I have hopes, may hold. __ 
3,5,7,&ec. Ishallcontent myself, in the case of these and most of 
the species, with the marks bracketed at the end of the description, a 
name, when I think I recognize it ; a query, when quite at a loss. 
_. 4 L£. furfuracea. I have never seen anything to which this 
description would apply. 
6. L. tenuifolia, Mchx., is one of the species that have the exter- 
ior sepals equal to the inner or a little exceeding them. 
17. L. pauciflora, this must be a yearling of what our books call 
L. thymifolia, Pursh. 
