1914] Fernald and St. John,— Nymphaea variegata 139 
northern plant, based upon a well rendered and ünquestioned diagnosis 
as well as upon definite specimens, is open to no doubt; but when the 
name N. americana was brought forward it rested upon a very insecure 
basis. Miller & Standley (p. 67) state of Nuphar americana that 
“ Although intended merely as a substitute for advena. . . . The diagno- 
sis clearly refers to the northern plant, and the type locality, Lake 
St. Jean-Georgie, Quebec, is far beyond the range of Nymphaea 
advena." This should dispose of the matter, but unfortunately the 
Provancher description, ete. seem to have been misinterpreted, and 
it therefore becomes important to see exactly what Provancher said: 
"NÉNUPHAR. Nuphar. Smith. 
1. N.d'Amérique. XN. Americana.— N. advena Ait.— Nymphaea advena. 
Michx.— (Lis jaune des étangs. Volet)— Yetiow Ponv-Lity.— 1. Feuilles 
épaisses, en coeur, de 6'-10' de long, à lobes divergents, luisantes, flottantes, 
ou le plus souvent dressées, à pétioles aplatis ou demi-cylindriques. Calice à 
6 sépales, les extérieurs plus petits. Stigmate à 12-15 rayons, à bords créne- 
lés, légérement ombiliqué. Fleurs globuleuses, dressées, portées sur de longs 
pédoncules droits, charnus. Pétales et étamines jaunes. Fruit ovoide- 
oblong, fortement sillonné, tronqué au sommet.— Lac St. Jean — Géorgie, dans 
les vases des lacs et des marais. Lac St. Joachim! Juin-Août. 
a lomentosa. Nutt. Feuilles pubescent blanchátre en dessous. 
Le nom spécifique advena qui convient aux Européens étant un contre-sens 
pour nous, nous avons cru devoir lui substituer celui d' Americana." ! 
It is, as stated by Miller & Standley, clear that Provancher merely 
intended Nuphar americana as a substitute for the inappropriate 
name N. advena; and it is therefore clear that he had no intention of 
proposing a new species to be segregated from it. However, since 
Provancher's intent in the matter seems to have had little weight and 
he is now made the posthumus sponsor for a new species which he did 
not understand, as well as for the new name which he did understand, 
it becomes necessary to view the remaining evidence; for we are told 
that Provancher's * diagnosis clearly refers to the northern plant." 
As previously stated by Miller, in the northern plant "floating 
leaves are the invariable rule." ? This is made the key-character in 
the later treatment and the species is further characterized by having 
the leaves with "sinus . . . . closed or very narrow” and * petioles slen- 
der, conspicuously flattened.” An inspection of Provancher's descrip- 
! Provancher, Flore Canadienne, 28, 29 (1862). 
? Miller, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. xv. 11. 
