,i 



Bicknell: Studies in Sisvrixchium 343 



r 



Raf., just as ^. imicronatum is nearly related to the twin-spathcd 

 S. scabrdliun, only with this reversal in the terms of the relation- 

 ship that, in the one case the rough-bracted plant is the one with 

 the solitary spathe, in the other case the one with the spathes 



1> 



gemmate. 



be 



camp 



there is no sufficient evidence that tliese represent anything more 

 than mere states of the species, any one of which might appear 

 under the appropriate conditions of soil and situation. 



The form taken as typical has the stem 1-1.5 mm. wide, 

 commonly much surpassing the slightly broader leaves, and 

 densely scabrous-puberulent spathes often of a pale purple color, 

 the primary bract acute or obtusely pointed and surpassing the 

 inner bract 1-2 cm., the inner bract 1-2 cm. long, herbaceous at- 

 tenuate or hyaline-margined to the acute apex, the flowers usually 

 hght-blue and about 10 mm. long on slender pedicels subequal 

 with the inner bract. 



This plant \s common in Minnesota, extending west to the Da- 

 kotas and south to Missouri and Kansas. 



A few specimens from Minnesota are unusually stiff and glau- 

 cous, with the perianth sometimes 14 mm. long. 



Certain other specimens are greener, the spathes showing little 

 or no purplish tinge, the inner bract often broader and having the 

 more scarious margins somewhat abruptly narrowed to the shorter 

 tip. 



A small proportion of specimens have the bracts quite smooth. 

 Such plants seem to be rare as far north as Minnesota, but more 

 frequent furtlicr south ; they show a tendency to a slightly 

 broader stem than the type, especially near the base of the spathe, 

 and broader inner bract, and are frequently white-flowered, appa- 

 rently representing a transition to the variety Kansamim described 

 below. Specimens of this smooth -bracted plant are, on technical 

 characters, sometimes with difficulty separable from 5. viucnmn- 

 fii^n, but as a rule are rather stouter, with smooth-edged stem, 

 stififer leaves, broader inner bract and less united outer one. 



Differing strikingly from the t>-pe when extreme forms are 

 compared but appearing to intergrade with it is a \'ery slender form 



/ 



