218 The Ottawa Naturalist. [February 



BOTANICAL NOTES. 



RiBES RUBRUM, L. 



Mr. M. L. Fernald in Rhodora vol. IX, pp. 1-5 separates the 

 species that have been referred to R. rubrtim. There are two 

 cultivated species of red currant, the one, R. ntbrum, has the 

 calyx somewhat cup-shaped, brown or mottled wnth red and 

 destitute of a disk, the other, R. vulgarc. Lam., has a flat, 

 vellowish green calyx and bears a prominent disk. The latter 

 is the common .species of cultivation. Mr. Fernald does not 

 know of the occurrence of R. rubmm in a wild state in America 

 and all our specimens are plainly referable to R. vulgare. Of 

 the indigenous wild currant Mr. Fernald recognizes two varieties, 

 R. triste, Pall., and R. triste var. alhinervium (Mx.) Fernald. 

 The latter has the leaves sparingly pubescent beneath when 

 young, soon glabrate, and is by far the most common red 

 currant in Canada, ranging from Nova Scotia to Alaska. R. 

 triste is permanently white tomentose beneath, and though its 

 range is stated by Mr. Fernald to be "Newfoundland to Alaska," 

 it has been seldom collected in Canada, and when the habitat 

 is given it has always been where the rock of the vicinity is 

 calcareous. 



Primula farinosa, L. 



Mr. Fernald separates this widely distributed species into 

 P. farinosa and three varieties Americana, macropoda and 

 incana. Typical specimens of all four are found among the 

 large series of Canadian specimens in our herbarium, but inter- 

 mediate forms also occvir, especially in the west. As shown by 

 our specimens, P. farinosa is confined to Labrador and New- 

 foundland, Americana to the vicinitv of the Great Lakes, and 

 incana to the Rocky Mountains and western Alberta, while 

 m-acropoda ranges from Labrador to the Mackenzie River. In 

 the west it is sometimes difficult to decide whether flowering 

 specimens should be called wcawa or mac ro pod a h\xt incana is the 

 characteristic plant of the foot-hills and macropoda of the 

 prairies. Americana as described by Mr. Fernald, however,, 

 might well be considered a species, its very short bracts and' 

 calyx separating it from macropoda and incana and the sulphur- 

 yellow powder of the under surface of the leaves from P. farinosa. 

 Our specimens of Arnericana are from Johnstone's Harbour, 

 Lake Huron and from Lake Superior, the latter specimens col- 

 lected by Prof. Macoun, July 16th, 1869. We have also very 

 characteristic specimens from Michigan. 



J. M. M. 



