100 Bicknell: The Nomenclature of 



specimen of Michaux's A. striata which thus would represent a 

 composite species. That it was at least a mixed species can 

 scarcely be doubted, since otherwise it would appear that our 

 commonest species was to Michaux quite unknown. 



It has been shown that Dr. Gray long ago established the 

 identity of A. striata Michx. with A. parviflora DC. It remains to 

 be proved that in so doing he was under no misconception in re- 

 gard to the exact application of De Candolle's name. This is 

 easily done. Both names were placed by Dr. Gray as equivalent 

 synonyms under his own A. Enpatoria var. /?. An excellent 

 specimen of this variety, so labeled in Dr. Gray's handwriting, is 

 preserved in the Columbia Herbarium. It is precisely the plant 

 which I have taken up under Michaux's name ! 



Dr. Gray's note on the specimen of Michaux in the herbarium 

 of the Jardin des Plantes "est A. Enpatoria var. minor" would 

 seem to exclude A. Brittoniana from Michaux's species, inasmuch 

 as the latter becomes the largest plant of the group. The diffi- 

 culties that have been encountered in the past in causing Dr. 

 Robinson to see that critical species in other genera are really 

 different may well be looked on as adequate reason for hesitat- 

 ing to accept his identification of Brittoniana with striata, in view 

 of the earlier conclusion of Dr. Gray. At this point arises the 

 question whether there is not, or was not in Dr. Gray's time 

 other material representing Michaux's A. striata, perhaps in the 

 Richard herbarium. 



aux's brief description referred to by Dr. Robinson as 

 " rather characteristic" is in reality no more characteristic of one 

 of our species than of several others, and his assertion that his 

 plant had white petals is characteristic of no species. No ade- 

 quate reason yet appears why the name A. Brittoniana should not 



Mich 



continue to stand. 



Micha 



(M 



Michx. ft 



senses that it becomes necessary to use another name in connec- 

 tion with it in order to indicate clearly the plant intended. In my 

 use of the name, as explained in my paper reviving the species and 



