APRIL, 1919. XANTHIUM MILLSPAUGH AND SHERFF. 23 



4. XANTHIUM CYLINDRICUM Millspaugh and Sherff, Field Mus. Bot. 



4 : 4, PL 3. 1918. 



Caulis scabridus, verisimiliter 0.5-1.5 m. altus. Folia magna, 

 quibusdam foliis Hibisci militaris Cav. simillima, subdeltoideo-ovata, 

 trilobata (et fere hastata) aut quinquelobata, margine dentata, basi 

 cordata aut subtruncata, membranacea, scabra aut tactui etiam fere 

 levia, setulis adpressis minutis vestita, petiolis adjectis 1.3-2.5 dm. 

 longa, petiolis laminis subaequantibus. Fructuum (PL VII., f. 4; 

 PL VIII., ff. 16-20) corpus cylindrico-fusiforme, rubro-badium, glandulis 

 minutis punctatum, aliter glabrum, 1.4-1.6 cm. longum et 4-5 mm. 

 crassum; rostris arcuatis, ad apicem hamosis, glabratis, 4-5 mm. longis; 

 aculeis tenuibus, rubro-badiis, ad apicem hamosis, glabratis, 2.5-3.5 mm - 

 longis. 



DISTRIBUTION: North Carolina. 



SPECIMENS EXAMINED: NORTH CAROLINA: Chimney Rock to Hen- 

 dersonville, Oct. 3, 1901, J. K. Small and A. M. Huger (Hb. Field 401312, 

 type; Hb. N. Y., cotype). 



When this species was originally described, there was no question 

 with us as to the soundness of the policy pursued by certain authors of 

 regarding West Indian and United States specimens of X. chinense as 

 specifically distinct. But since then, our studies have convinced us, as 

 stated under X. chinense, that the United States specimens formerly 

 referred to X. americanum (Auct. amer., forsan non Walt.; X. stru- 

 marium Auct. amer. ex parte, non L.; X. pungens Wallr.) represent 

 merely an inconstant race or variety of the West Indian and Mexican 

 X. chinense. This being true, there arises the question as to whether 

 X. cylindricum likewise may not indeed prove to be a race of X. chinense. 

 So far, however, we have been unable to find intermediate specimens 

 that seemed to connect adequately with X. chinense. 1 Hence we are 

 constrained to reserve judgment in the matter until future studies shall 

 have thrown more light upon the true status of this form. 



5. Xanthium globosum Shull sp. nov. (Cf. Dalbey, Kansas Univ. 



Science Bull. 9: 57. 1914; Shull, Bot. Gaz. 59: 474-483. 1915.) 

 Caulis rubro-purpureus aut stramineus, saepe longitudinaliter pur- 

 pureo-punctatus, 3-10 dm. altus; ramis demum (in speciminibus robus- 



the second or Mexican form to X. echinatum Murr. Clearly, Thellung was totally 

 lacking as to a proper conception of X. occidentale ( = X. chinense), a species that, 

 under various names, has become uniformly recognized in recent decades by promi- 

 nent American authors as a valid species. Furthermore, even were Thellung 1 s treat- 

 ment correct and the first X. chinense (published in 1768) reduced to synonomy with 

 X. strumarium L., then the second X. chinense (published in 1771), based according 

 to Thellung upon a different plant and being according to Thellung an entirely different 

 species, would become valid and would take precedence over the name X. echinatum 

 Murr. which Thellung maintains (Cf. Internat. Rules Bot. Nomencl. art. 50. 1906). 



1 We have found two specimens of X. chinense from Missouri (Webber, roadsides, 

 West St. Louis, Oct. 14, 1890, Hb. Mo. 46000 and 85413) that show small leaves 

 suggestive in form and color of the larger ones on X. cylindricum. 



