Vol. 32, pp. 129-132 June 27, 1919 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



SUMMARY OF NOTES ON WINTER BLOOMING AT 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



BY W. L. McATEE. 



The very mild winter of 1918-1919 has resulted in various 

 unusual phenomena of plant bloom in the neighborhood of 

 Washington, D. C, which inspire interest in similar records in 

 the past for this vicinity. Ward in his Guide to the Flora of 

 Washington 1 recognizes only early flowering, and autumnal 

 flowering (meaning a distinct second blooming season) as unusual 

 bloom phenomena. 



Another categorj^ would seem to be needed to include those 

 plants with long-persistent flowers or a habit of producing new 

 flowers up to the extreme limit of endurance of the unfavorable 

 conditions of approaching winter. For this phenomenon and 

 present purposes, the simple term "late-flowering" will suffice. 

 It is most satisfactory to group by themselves also, those plants 

 that bloom at any time conditions are favorable. 



Autumnal Flowering. 2 



As used here autumnal flowering means a distinct new period of bloom 

 for plants normally blooming earlier in the year. This has been observed 3 

 in the following plants: 



Hair grass (Agrostis hyemalis) November 12, 1876. 



Chickweed (Stellaria aquatica) December 8, 1918. 



Hepatica (Hepatica triloba) December 22, 30, 1918. 



Buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus) November 28, 1875. 



Bitter Cress (Cardamine hirsuta) October 3, 1880. 



Dewberry (Rubies villosus) September 22 and October 27, 1878. 



iBul. 22, U. S. Nat. News. 1881, pp. 26-33. 



2In this and other sections of the paper are included notes kindly furnished by various 

 individuals, to whom acknowledgment is here gratefully recorded. 



SNotes of Ward, L. F. Loc. cit.. also Field and Forest, III, Nos. 10-12, April- June, 

 1878, p. 172. and Chickering, op. cit. I, Nos. 5-6, Oct.-Nov., 1875, pp. 43-44 are incorporated. 

 25— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 32, 1919. (129) 



