118 

 MONOTROPA UNIFLORA. 



To tha Editor oj the Ottawa Naturalist : 



Dear Sir : In the June number of the Ottawa NaturaUst I notice 

 some views expressed by Mr. Fletcher on the growth of Monotropa. I 

 feel assured that his views are correct. In the suuiruer of 1873 I was 

 searching in a hardwood bush for roots of Aplectrum hiemale, when I 

 found several bunches of roots which I at once took to be those of M. 

 uni^ora. but there was no appearance of flowei-ing stems. I also 

 observed that they were securely attached to roots, about three-sixteenths 

 of an inch in diameter, of what I took to be maple, -but which may 

 have been beech. 



There coidd be no doubt about the parasitic attachment. At first 

 1 imagined that the flowering stems had been ])luckcd, but on examina- 

 tion this was evidently not the case as no signs of injury could be found ; 

 moreover it was in the month of July, too early in the season for the 

 flowers to have appeared. I marked the place ctrefully, and drove in 

 several pegs beside roots which were but little disturbed. I revisited 

 the spot towards the end of Se|) ember, after T had found several in 

 flower, but found all just as I had left it; not a plant was to be seen. 

 In September of the following year I happened to be driving within a 

 short distance of the locality, so tying my horse I went carefully over 

 the ground and found the flowers so numerous that from a small area I 

 t;ould have gatliered a large basketful. From want of time I did not 

 carry the investigation further, but this was enough to convince me of 

 the a'"curacv of Mr. Flet'iher's statements. 



W.M. ElJODlE, 



Toronto, 3rd June, 1887. 



[Note. With regard to the above interesting subject, upon consulting Prof. 

 Macoun, be states that he agrees with the general tenor of Mr. Brodie's letter, but 

 adds witb regard to the host- plant, tliat he is sure that Monotropa grows upon the 

 roots of other plants besides tlie Beech, as he has found it in many districts where 

 that tree does not occur. In British Columbia he found it common in Coniferous 

 woods where no deciduous trees grew. It is also abundant in tlie cold woods of the 

 Oaspe peninsular, on Anticosti, and in some parts of Nova Scotia where the Beech is 

 unknown. Ho is of the opinion that viduable information woul I um'oubtedly be 

 .gained by carrying out tlie ex]ieriment suggested in the June number of the 

 Aaturatisl of growing these plants from seed. Ed.] 



