Neiv Species of Oenothera 527 



The laevifolia, or smooth-leaved variety, was 

 one of the very first deviating types found in 

 the original field. This was in the summer of 

 1887, seventeen years ago. It formed a little 

 group of plants growing at some distance from 

 the main body, in the same field. I found some 

 rosettes and some flowering stems and sowed 

 some seed in the fall. The variety has been 

 quite constant in the field, neither increasing 

 in number of individual plants nor changing 

 its place, though now closely surrounded by oth- 

 er Lamarckianas. In my garden it has proved 

 to be constant from seed, never reverting to the 

 original lamarcJdana, provided intercrossing 

 was excluded. 



It is chiefly distinguished from Lamarck's 

 evening-primrose by its smooth leaves, as the 

 name indicates. The leaves of the original form 

 show numerous sinuosities in their blades, not 

 at the edge, but anywhere between the veins. 

 The blade shows numbers of convexities on 

 either surface, the whole surface being undu- 

 lated in this manner; it lacks also the bright- 

 ness of the ordinary evening-primrose or 

 Oenothera, biennis. 



These undulations are lacking or at least very 

 rare on the leaves of the new laevi folia. Or- 

 dinarily they are wholly wanting, but at times 

 single leaves with slight manifestations of this 



