Studies on the Rocky Mountain Flora 



By P. A. Rydber 



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THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPECIES OF MELANTHACEAE 



There has been a great deal of misunderstanding regarding the 

 species belonging to the family Melanthaceae (perhaps more com- 

 monly regarded as a sub-family of Liliaceae). Especially is this 

 true with respect to the species growing in the Rocky Mountain 

 region. In order that some of the confusion may be cleared up 

 and a way may be opened to further study of the group my present 

 views are here offered. 



The family is represented in the Rockies by at least five genera 

 and seventeen species. Of these I have found myself obliged to 

 describe one genus and seven species as new. The genera are as 

 follows : 



TOFIELDIA Huds. 

 This is represented by three species, distinguished as follows : 



Stem glabrous, scapose ; seeds unappendaged . T. pafastris. 



Stem viscid-pubescent at least above ; seeds appendaged. 



Bractlets broadly triangular, connate for two thirds of their length. 



T. intermedia 



Bractlets lanceolate-triangular, connate half their length or less. T. occidentahs. 



Tofieldia palustris Huds. Fl. Ang. Ed. 2, I : 175 



A subalpine species of wet places, growing in America from 

 Greenland to Alaska and from the Arctic coast south to Quebec 

 and British Columbia. It is also found in subarctic Europe. The 

 following specimen from the Rockies is in the New York Herbaria : 



British Columbia: Rocky Mountains, 1890, John Macoitn. 



Tofieldia intermedia sp. nov. 



Tofii 



1838. 



Wats. Bot. Calif. 2 : 1 84. Not Pursh. 



A slender perennial with more or less leafy stem, 1.5-3 dm - 

 high, viscid-pubescent above. Leaves 5-20 cm. long, 2-5 mm. 

 wide, obtuse or acute : raceme short, dense, 1-2 cm. long : bracts 



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