BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 181 



place of leaves. In like manner, the corolla is sometimes changed 

 into good looking and apparently serviceable leaves. 



Monstrous fojms are not rare, as for instance; — stamens and styles 

 converted into leaves, some of the former retaining a trace of the 

 anther on the edge of the leaf; styles enlarged and leafy, sometimes 

 antheriferoLis ; calyx large and the other tloral organs abortive, or 

 reduced to Liliputian dimensions; stamens double the ordinary num- 

 ber, &c. 



In casting about for a specific description, no permanent character 

 could be found. The ])etioled leaves, green-striped petals, and 

 round, or obscurely three-s'ded ovary would offer a good specific 

 character, were they constant ; but such is not the case. The plant 

 seems more than a sport and less than a species. If it is simply an 

 abnormal form, as the appearance of the ovary would seem to indi- 

 cate, the question arises: Why should it occur every year? Sports 

 are generally rare and do not repeat themselves, or but to a limited 

 extent. This plant is common and well distributed. My present 

 opinion, formed from a careful examination of many specimens gath- 

 ered at different times and in various localities, is that the plant in 

 question is a variety of Trillium grandiflorum. The ordinary form 

 does not greatly resemble the latter, but the intermediate forms 

 above noticed apparently show a connection between the two. It is 

 barely possible that the plant may establish a claim to consideration 

 as a species, — the intermediate forms being hybrids. It is desirable 

 that those who have met this variet}" should watch its behavior, and 

 ascertain whether the ovules develop into good seeds. For the pres- 

 ent, the plant might be dubbed T. grandiflontm, var. variegrdnm.., or 

 something like that. — Erwin T. Smitk, HuhhardHton^ Mich. 



Notes from West Virginia. — From all that can be learned by 

 means of published reports, very little collecting has been done in 

 West Virginia, if we except the work of Mr. J. F.James, of Cincinna- 

 ti, who spent some time at the famous "Hawk's Nest,'' on the New 

 River. Although the results of a week's work are necessarily small, 

 they may possibly add something to our knowledge of the geographi- 

 cal distribution of the North American flora and tlie knowledge of 

 the topography of the region traversed by the Great Kanawha and 

 New Rivers, should certainly have some influence in inducing more 

 thorough exploration. The scenery in these valleys is almost sub- 

 lime — and wherever there is grand scenery it is usually a fine place 

 for the labors of a botanist. From the mouth of the Great Kanawha 



