BULLETIN 
TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB. 
Vol. Xill.] ‘New York, January, 1886. ‘INo. I. 
| : Notes on Myosurus, 
; By Asa GRAY. 
{ It has come in my way to take up the genus Myosurus. My 
preliminary study leaves some points in doubt, which may be set- 
tled by the additional materials and observations which the fol- 
lowing remarks are designed to solicit. 
recognized species, for MM. Shortit, Raf., is clearly understood 
to be identical with the Linnean species.* Some authors have 
regarded our MW. minimus as an introduction from Europe. I 
have never seen it growing, and therefore cannot form a judg- 
ment on personal observation. It is not known in the Northern 
Atlantic States east of the Alleghanies. In Elliott’s time it was 
known in the Southern Atlantic States, by a station at Augusta, 
Georgia: but from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas it extends 
so far westward that we can hardly suppose it to have been an 
European importation. Buta good many far-western specimens 
which have been referred to it belong to another species. If 
indigenous, it is one of those plants which are common to Europe 
and America, but not to Asia. The opinion that it is truly 
indigenous to America is much strengthened by the fact that this 
country possesses all the other species. Inavery recent Reveston 
of Myosurus by Mr. Greene, in Bull. Calif. Acad., i, 276-279, 
two varieties of JZ. minimus are described. The first, var. apus, 
is said to have the scapes only a line or two long, and it was 
collected by Mr. Orcutt back of San Diego. Mr. Cleveland 
sends us from the same habitat fruiting specimens with scapes 
Sir Wm. Hooker, are truly this plant, although Mr. Greene, in Bull. Calif. Acad., i, 
mentions that what he has from — is Plantago pusilla, 
M. minimus, L.—Down to recent times this was the only — 
*Our specimens of No. 3 of Drummond’s Coll. from New Orleans, distributed by 
. 
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