1/ 



2 54 Contributions to Western Botany. [zoE 



the soil. A single specimen of what appears to be a new species 

 of this genus was brought hy Mr. Louis King from Portland, 

 Or., but being very badh' preserved I must leave its description for 

 some future time. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO WESTERN BOTANY. No. 5. 



BY MARCUS E. JONES. 



REVISION OF THE AMERICAN SPECIES OF AOUILEGIA NORTH 



OF MEXICO. 



In Studying the species of this genus a person is struck with 

 the amount of labor wasted in describing them, and the 

 uncertainty attaching to the species recognized. This is due 

 largelj' to the multitude of characters belonging to the genus 

 that are not given in any book and which most people do not 

 know are generic. The really specific characters are few. 

 There are two distinct lines of species in the genus so far as our 

 western ones are concerned, which hybridize among themselves 

 and possibl}^ with each other. One line has petal-limb dilated 

 above and flowers never truly red; the other has petal-limb not 

 dilated above and red or reddish flowers. The following gives my 

 views of this genus, though I am inclined to think that further 

 research may prove that A . flavescens ^\S\. become a variety of 

 ccertdea, A. for^nosa a variety of A. Canadensis, while the margin 

 between cczrulea and chrysantha is very slight. 



AQUIIvEGIA L. COLUMBINE. 

 Parts of flowers in fives (except stamens) petal-like, alternate, 

 stamens many. Sepals narrowed at base into a short claw 

 and bent at base, usually acute, equaling the limb of petal or 

 longer, widely spreading or reflexed, rather veiny, often green- 

 tipped and simulating a gland. Petals either saccate at insertion 

 or prolonged backward into hollow, usually tapering spurs 

 which are short to four inches long and with a nectar}^ in the 

 tip set obliquely on the spur; limb of petals either almost 

 obsolete or nearly equaling the sepals, usuall}- rather thick, erect, 

 and yellow, or sometimes white at least at the tip. Stamens 



