Vol. XXIX, pp. 77-82 April 4, 1916 



PROCEEDINGS 



or THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



NOTES ON QUAMASIA WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A 



NEW SPECIES. 



BY C. V. PIPER. 



The liliaceous genus Quamasia Raf. (Camassia Lindl.) con- 

 sists of a small number of species mostly from the region west 

 of the Rocky Mountains. Economically two or more of the 

 species have been important to the Indians for food, the bulbs 

 being well known under the name "Camas." Several of the 

 species are cultivated as ornamentals, particularly in Europe. 



The characters by which the species are defined are often 

 obscure in herbarium material. A recent study of that which 

 has accumulated in the United States National Herbarium, 

 necessitated by some unusually interesting specimens collected 

 by Mr. W. C. Cusick near Roseberg, Oregon, indicates that it 

 may be necessary to recognize several additional species. There 

 is need, however, of careful field study and good suites of speci- 

 mens before this can be done with assurance. 



In the mean time notes on certain differences observable in 

 herbarium material may be useful to field botanists who may 

 have opportunity to determine the taxonomic value of these 

 characters. 



Quamasia angusta n. comb. 



Scilla angusta Engelm. &Gray, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. 2:237. 1845. 

 Camassia fraseri angusta Torr. & Gray, Pac. E.. Rep. 24:176. 1855. 



This plant seems to differ constantly from Q. esculenta (Ker) Coville in 

 the nervation of the perianth segments, each being 3-nerved while they 

 are 5-nerved in Q. esculenta. The constancy of this character and the 

 difference in range point to the plant being specifically distinct. Qua- 

 masia angusta is confined to Texas. 



16— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX, 1916. (77) 



