280 PROCEEDINGS OP THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



and Pavon, who likewise had to deal with this "contrayerba " of South 

 America in writing their Flora Peruviana Prodrom. 114 (1794), asserted 

 rightly that from its characters it could not belong to the genus Milleria, 

 hence they proposed a new name Vermifnga, but it was not until later 

 in their Systema Vegetabilium Fl. Peruv. et Chil. 216 (1798), that they 

 added the specific name " corymbosa." Persoon in his Synopsis Plan- 

 tarum, ii. 489 (1807), referred both Milleria Contrayerba, Cav., and 

 Vermifuga corymbosa, R. & P., to Flaveria Contrayerba, the name 

 which has been used up to the present time. 



In the meantime, however, Gmeliu in his Systema, 1549 (1796), 

 reverted to Flaveria and published the specific binomials F. chilensis and 

 F. peruviana for the two original plants of Jussieu. It is thus evident 

 that F. chilensis, Gmel., is the first properly named species of Flaveria, 

 and it is also clear that this was the Chilian plant of Jussieu, the " con- 

 trayerba" of the Chilians. It may be said further in regard to Gmelin's 

 two names, that later writers have quite correctly called F. peruviana 

 a synonym of F. Contrayerba, Pers., but that they have also with little 

 reason considered F. chilensis a synonym of F. angustifolia, Pers., which 

 was first described as a Milleria by Cavanilles in his Ic. Plant, iii. t. 223. 

 This opinion seems to have been based on very slight grounds ; in fact, 

 merely upon the incomplete description of the form of inflorescence. 

 The Chilian plant is described as having a glomerate capitate inflores- 

 cence which fits F. angustifolia well, but Jussieu refers the Cliiliau 

 plant to that of Fenille, the illustration of which agrees fairly well with 

 the appearance of F. chilensis, Gmel., and is undoubtedly the " contra- 

 yerba." Moreover, " angustifolia " is typically a Mexican plant, having 

 never been reported, so far as I can make out, in South America. 



To the Peruvian plant, however, Jussieu ascribes a spicate inflores- 

 cence which does fairly well for some species of"F. Contrayerba, Pers., or, 

 using the earlier name, F. chilensis, Gmel. Thus, it seems probable 

 that both of Jussieu's specimens may properly be referred to F. chilensis, 

 Gmel., and that F. peruviana, Gmel., may be considered its synonym. 

 Although Jussieu identified his plants with Milleria chiloensis in Hortus 

 Regius Parisiensis, the first instance of a specific name under Flaveria 

 is that of F. chilensis, Gmel., so that that name should take precedence 

 over all others. 



F. chilensis, Gmel., is then the type plant of the genus, and F. 

 angustifolia, Pers., is the second good species published in the group. 

 A detailed study of F. Co?itrayerua, Cav. (F. Contrayerba, Cav.) was 

 undertaken by Sprengel in Schrad. Journ. Bot. pt. 2, 186, t. 5 (1800> 



