VoL, 29 No. 9 
BULLETIN 
OF THE 
TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB 
SEPTEMBER, 1902 
Notes on the biennial and perennial West American Species of 
Lappula 
By C. V. Piper 
In describing Lappula arida in this journal (28: 44) I briefly 
called attention to the value of the fornices or appendages in the 
throat of the corolla as one means of distinguishing that species 
from L. ciliata (Dougl.) Greene. Indeed it was largely by the 
character of this appendage that it became clear that the hand- 
some blue-flowered species common about Spokane, Wash., was 
identical with Douglas’ original, an authentic specimen of which 
is in the Gray herbarium. Douglas’ plant was in very young 
flower, so that it was only by comparing the throat appendages 
that it became certain that his plant was distinct from Z. arida. In 
the course of this examination I was struck with the different forms 
of the throat appendages, which prove on further study to be 
_ very constant and therefore a helpful means of identifying speci- 
mens in flower only, as well as of distinguishing species. In 
- describing LZ. arida, the fornices were said to be ‘not retuse.” 
This is an error, as in all the biennial and perennial American 
Species at least the appendage is notched. Briefly the appendage 
consists of an obcordate erect or connivent swelling, from the 
lower ventral face of which projects into the throat a protuber- 
ance. The size shape and surface of the appendage, the shape 
of the protuberance, and the relative dimensions of these parts 
_ furnish characters, which though difficult to describe, are found to 
be very reliable. In endeavoring to clear up the northwestern 
‘Species, it became necessary to examine a large amount of mate- 
Mial. The following results are based on a study of the material in 
ee 535 
: Tiamed 26 September] 
