Bicknell: Species of the Genus Hydastylus 379 



until after the middle of August. Professor Macoun writes " It 

 grows always in soft mud on the margins of fresh water lakes 

 away from the coast." < 



Washington: Whatcom Co., W. N. Suksdorf, flowers July 



7 ; fruit August. 



Vancouver Island: Lake shores, July i, 1887, first flowers, 

 and Shawnigan Lake, July 12, 1887, John Macoun; Shawnigan 

 Lake, Aug. 18, 1897, fruit and last flowers, Wm. N. Canby ; 

 Sooke, Aug. 3, 1893, John Macoun, fruit and last flowers. 



The very close affinity of this plant to H, Calif ornicus is much 

 more apparent than its diversity ; nevertheless, its much smaller 

 average size throughout and especially its smaller flowers, short 

 anthers and small seeds, taken in connection with its inland distri- 

 bution and lacustrine habits, is certainly sufficient evidence that it 



■ 



cannot be regarded as the same. The question of varietal rela- 

 tionship in cases such as this must always of course, remain merely 

 a matter of conjecture in the absence of conclusive proof. 



The present case is almost fatally complicated by the existence 

 in the coast region of Washington and Oregon of yet another form 

 even more closely related to H. Calif ornicus. In a way this plant 

 is intermediate between the two but I cannot conscientiously 

 escape the difficulty it presents by referring it to either, nor do I 

 know how to treat it as a variety ; neither can it be ignored. The 

 only consistent course therefore is to give it recognition as a 

 closely allied species, even though its entire validity remains to be 

 established. It may therefore be called to notice as Hydastylus 



br achy pus, 



4 Hydastylus brachypus sp. nov. 



Mostly low and stout, 8-15 cm. high, but becoming twice as 

 tall, leaves and stem broad, 2-5 mm. wide, sometimes narrower, 

 commonly becoming very dark in drying, the leaves abrupt at the 

 apex or short acuminate, mostly obtusely pointed, the stem often 

 very broadly thin-winged, and abruptly contracted below the 

 spathe ; roots very slender and delicate : spathes short, the inner 

 bract 1 5-20 mm. long, mostly broad above and obtusely rounded 

 and scarious at the apex ; outer bract abruptly narrowed to an 

 obtuse point, subequal with or but slightly surpassing the inner 

 one, the broad base rather loosely ' short-clasping for 2-5 mm., 

 the lower margins conspicuously white or purplish-hyaline ; interior 



