116 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



these insects visits a flower and finds plenty of nectar, it is 

 likely to continue its visits to such flowers, and it is doubtless 

 in this way that the bee's reputation for adhering to a single 

 kind of flower while gathering nectar, has been earned. The 

 bee is a saving creature and wastes no more time in flight than 

 necessary; therefore, when it finds flowers of one kind near 

 together it visits them all in preference to searching for fresh 

 fields. In this way the advantage to plants of producing 

 flowers in groups or clusters is explained. It is said that all 

 the highest types of flowers are in clusters. Doubtless this 

 method of bearing their blossoms did much to facilitate their 

 rise in the plant world, simply because it gave a slightly better 

 chance of pollination. 



Arctium Minus laciniatum. — Since the mention of this 

 curious form of the burdock in this magazine. Dr. Henri Hus 

 of the University of Michigan has been investigating its his- 

 tory with the result that it appears to have occurred several 

 times in the United States. The earliest record is that of 

 Darlington, author of "Flora Cestrica" who found it at West 

 Chester, Pa., in 1858. J. W. Robbins collected it at New Bed- 

 ford, Mass. in 1890 and A. E. Ricksecker found specimens 

 at Elyria, Ohio in 1894. The form has also been collected in 

 Europe, but appears to be very rare in herbaria, only one speci- 

 men having been located up to the present. In recent years 

 the form has been found several times in the north central 

 states. It has been found at Joliet every year since 1909. 

 Further notes of its occurrence in other localities are desired. 

 It is possible that in this plant we are dealing with a form that 

 has arisen from the common burdock by mutation and now 

 shows a tendency to become more abundant. If so, it has all 

 the interest of the evening primrose species made famous by 

 DeVries. An extended account of this form and many others 

 is given by Dr. Hus in American Naturalist for November 

 1911. 



