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tinct variety, and one that may in the future allow of specific rank, 
is the var. Labradoricum, which toward its southern limit at least 
inhabits only sphagnous bogs. It was first thought to be a seed- 
ling plant of the ordinary form, but material examined from many 
localities shows it to be quite constant and distinct. The var. /i/- 
folium includes a well-defined series of Atlantic coast specimens, 
distinguished by their diffuse habit, naked inflorescence, large 
flowers, and exceedingly narrow, papillose leaves. Florida speci- 
mens of G. énctorium differ from the type in being slender and 
weak, with spatulate leaves, and a few prickles upon the stem. 
They are very close to G. Claytoni, and have been separated as 
var. floridanum. 
A certain number of American species are distinguished from 
those discussed above by the lunate cross-section of the seed. 
The most interesting of all of these is G. palustre L. Apparently 
very few botanists have suspected that this occurs in America, 
and yet specimens are at hand from all parts of the eastern States. 
In most herbaria it is labelled G. #ifidum Jatifolium Torr. It grows 
abundantly in the marshes about Cayuga Lake, New York, where 
the writer has had an opportunity to watch it for several years, 
thinking it a new species. It was only recently that it occurred 
to him to compare it with the G. pa/usire of Europe, and the sur- 
prise was great indeed when it was found that the two correspond 
exactly. Material from all parts of the range given below has 
been compared with specimens from various parts of Europe, and 
there is now no further doubt but that they are identical. Just as 
there are few flowered and densely flowered specimens from 
America, so also specimens are found in Europe with closely 
Cymose infloresence and others bearing only a few flowers. 
The question as to whether G. palustre is indigenous in Amer- 
ica or not is indeed perplexing. Specimens collected at Ithaca 
have always been in open places near lines of traffic, commonly 
along roadsides or on the shores of Cayuga Lake. The limited 
distribution would also suggest its being introduced. On the other 
hand, the earliest specimen observed was collected by Macrae at 
Montreal in 1842, and probably the plant referred to by Hooker 
as G. tinctorium was also this species. The question can scarcely 
be settled at present. 
