CA RD Ul ^S HIL L II PER ENNIA L. 12J 



I have a specimen in my herbarium collected some years since by 

 Elam Bartholomew at Rockport, Rooks county, Western Kansas. 

 This greatly extends the range of the species. 



I was much interested in the range of Hypericum Kalviianuin, as 

 set forth in the February number by E. J. Hill. It is a surprising 

 fact tliat this species of northern range and almost confined to the 

 region of the Great Lakes, should have been discovered in a robust 

 form in an isolated station in the middle region of Tennessee. 



That pioneer southern botanist, Dr. Gattinger, in his " Tennessee 

 Flora," lists it thus: " //. Kalmiamiiii L., var. majns. Barrens at 

 Tullahoma. July. 5-6 feet high and of more robust habit than the 

 northern forms " 



It would be interesting to know if there are any intermediate 

 stations between this and the Great Lakes. 



Peoria, 111. 



CARDUUS HlLLIl PERENNIAL. 

 By E. J. Hill. 



IN Britton and Brown's " Illustrated Flora" this thistle is doubtfully 

 given as biennial ("biennial (?) "). When it was described by 

 Mr. Canby I did not have decisive evidence of its duration, but 

 was reasonably sure that it was perennial from the nature of its 

 root. Since then all doubts have been removed, for plants have been 

 found early in spring with leaves starting from roots which had the 

 dead flower stem of the preceding year still attached and were form- 

 ing a growth for another season of bloom. In this duration of the 

 root and its peculiar form may be found the most distinctive charac- 

 teristic which separates it from C. odoratiis. These characters are 

 liable to be missed by collectors not over-careful and who might try 

 to pull up a specimen. This is quite impossible — at least I have never 

 succeeded and do not try any more. The root being enlarged below 

 and rather slender for an inch or two from the base of the stem, is 

 quite sure to break ofl: and leave but a remnant adhering to the stem. 

 I have blistered my hands when using a trowel to dig them out of stiff 

 clay soil into which they may descend a foot or more. It is somewhat 

 easier to get them in the sand. It is not uncommon to find plants 

 with two or more roots. They are sometimes fascicled, four being the 

 greatest number I have seen. Each of the roots has the characteristic 

 form, but they are apt to be more slender, the swollen hollow portion 

 less prominent. As all spring from the base of the stem, it shows that 

 the root is not branched as in the Pasture Thistle. They also have 

 the heavy sickening odor of the roots of the Canada Thistle, some- 

 thing more or less shared perhaps by all thistles. 



Chicago, 111. 



