62 The Ottawa Naturalist. [June 



ERIOPHORUM RUSSEOLUM, FR., VERSUS E. CH AMIS- 

 SON IS, C. A. MEY. 



In an article on North American species of Eriophorum 

 (Rhodora, Vol. 7, 1905) Mr. Fernald expresses the opinion that 

 E. Chamissonis, Mey.. is identical with E. russeolum, Fr., hence 

 the name of Meyer must he prefered, being- the older. This 

 article has been reprinted ex parte in The Ottawa Naturalist 

 (May, 1906) by Mr. James M. Macoun without further comment. 



In recent years the matter of changing plant-names has, in 



America, been considered a most important point in botanical 



science, and far more so than the study of the plants themselves; 



that a number of these alterations have proved unsuccessful, we 



all know. Now, in regard to the proposed change of name of 



said Eriophorum, from russeolum to Chamissonis, I wish to state 



that this question was amply discussed some sixty years ago, and 



by authors who were familiar with the species of both. And I 



should think that the following statement, by Fries himself (Bot. 



Notiser 1848, p 6) would be more than sufficient to settle the 



question : " We are able to produce Meyer's own statement 



acknowledging identity of his E. Chamissonis with our Swedish 



E. capitatum" 



Theo. Holm. 

 Brookland, D.C., May, 1906. 



THE IDENTITY OF ERIOPHORUM CHAMISSONIS AND 



E. RUSSEOLUM. 



To the Editor of the Ottawa Naturalist: 



I thank you for the opportunity to see the proof of the preced- 

 ing note in regard to the identity of Eriophorum Chamissonis and 

 E. russeolum and for your courteous invitation that I restate the 

 reasons for considering the two identical. That question was dis- 

 cussed at length by me in Rhodora, vii. 83, 133(1905) ; but, since 

 your correspondent apparently sees in the attempt to clear the 

 identities and relationship of our American Eriophorums only a 

 " matter of changing plant-names " and has seemingly been unable 



