4 
192 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
f. atrosanguinea, comb. nov. 
? L. Caprifolium ruberrimum, Weston, Univ. Bot. Hort.1 3155 (1770). 
L. atrosanguinea, Carritre, Rev. Hort. 1866 3 337 (1866). 
Caprifolium atropurpureum, hort., ex K. Koch, Dendr. 213 8 (1872). 
L. Caprifolium atrosanguinea, Lavallé, Arb. Segrez. 138 (1877). 
f querciroui, Tausch, Flora 21: 736 (1838). 
L. Caprifolium y erosum, De Candolle, Prodr. 43331 (1830). 
L. Caprifolium variegata, Lavallé, Arb. Segrez. 138 (1877). 
L. Caprifolium erosa variegata, hort., ex Lavallé, 1. c. 
LL. Italica has usually been confounded with Z. Caprifo- 
Zium and with L. Htrusca, but is readily distinguished from 
either by the arrangement of the flowers and by the 
bractlets. L. Caprifolium has the whorls of flowers all in 
the axils of connate leaves and has no or very minute 
bractlets, while Z. Htrusca has the whorls disposed in 
peduncled heads often in threes and has conspicuous 
bractlets almost as long asthe ovaries. Z. Jtalica is inter- 
mediate between the two, resembling sometimes more the 
one and sometimes the other: the one or two lower whorls 
are in the axils of connate leaves as in L. Caprifolium 
and the upper whorls are in the axils of bract-like leaves 
asin J. Hirusca; the bractlets are about half as long as 
the ovaries and also the color of the flowers and the 
texture, shape and size of the leaves is intermediate. 
These facts together with the apparent scarcity in the wild 
state (among more than 60 specimens of LZ. Caprifolium 
and L. Htrusca from different localities I found the form 
in question represented only twice from regions where 
both parents occur) lead me to the conclusion that L. 
Italica is a hybrid originated in regions where the areas of 
the two species overlap. Its frequency in cultivation is 
explained by its superior ornamental qualities; it blooms 
more profusely and a longer time than LZ. Oaprifolium 
and is much hardier than Z. Htrusca. 
There can be no doubt that LZ. Americana of Koch and 
