THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 83 



throat, for example croup and quinsy, for which the plant 

 was a reputed specific, was adopted by Scopoli in 1772, and is 

 still occasionally met with. American collectors for a long- 

 time assumed that our plant was identical with the European, 

 but it early became evident to keen observers that consider- 

 able differences existed, and that while the European plant was 

 undoubtedly naturalized in many places, American forms that 

 were worthy at least of varietal if not of specific rank were 

 clearly to be distinguished. These forms have been admirably 

 treated by Professor M. L. Fernald in an article in Rhodora 

 (Oct. 1913 ) under the title "Indigenous Varieties of Prunella 

 vulgaris." He distinguishes five varieties, of which hispida 

 of the eastern United States alone seems to be introduced; 

 aleutica has been found only in Alaska, atropurpurea in Cal- 

 ifornia, calvescens in British Columbia and the northwestern 

 United States, and lanceolata from Newfoundland to Wash- 

 ington and California, and even to Japan and China. The 

 last-named form is very common here in Oregon, both in the 

 desert and the humid regions, and from sea-level to high 

 elevations in the mountains. These four indigenous forms 

 differ from the original species chiefly in the narrower leaves, 

 which range from one-fifth to one-half as broad as long, 

 while in the species the range is from two-fifths to two-thirds. 

 The varieties are also distinguished by having the base of the 

 leaf narrowed or cuneate, while in the species the base is 

 r unded. 



The color of the flowers ranges from lavender through 

 pink, bluish and violet t i dark purple. As occasionally hap- 

 pens in flowers with this range of color, forms with white 

 corollas are sometimes met with, agreeing in all other particu- 

 lars with the typical forms. These "albinos" are therefore 

 not to be regarded as constituting varieties, but as formae, and 

 two of them have been included by Professor Fernald in the 

 article referred to above: P. vulgaris forma albiflora, spar- 



