BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



Vol.1V. NOVEMBER, 1879. No. 11. 



Vaccixium macrocarpon, var. iNXERMEDirii. — This nam 2 may be 

 iiiven to a form which occurs on the Columbia Kiver, is probably that 

 which in Hooker's Flora is said to occur at its mouth, and is collected 

 Jiii^her up, in Washington Territory by Mr. Suksdorf, who sends both 

 llower and fruit. When two very nearly related species occur over 

 a wide range in latitude, the assigned differences are apt to fail at 

 some place or other. The form of Cranberry which Mr. Suksdorf sup- 

 plies has the stature, small leaves, and small berries of I". Qxycoccus. 

 In about half the specimens the scaly bud for the inllorescence is 

 leafy-proliferous, in the others not so, thus destroying a character 

 which appeared to distinguish the two species. On tlie other hand 

 there is in northern Japan and Sachalin a larger leaved plant which 

 I referred to V. macrocarpon and Maximovvicz to V. Oxycoccus, the 

 bud of which is sometimes proliferous ; and its larger leaves equal in 

 size those of ordinary V. macrocarpon. They have, however, the slight 

 apiculation which renders the leaves of T". Qxycoccus acutish in ap- 

 pearance ; while in the Columbia River plant the apex of the leaf is 

 almost refuse. To this small point is reduced the only absolute dif- 

 ference between the two. — A. Gray. 



Epipactis Hklleborine. — We have from the Secretary of the Syra- 

 cuse Botanical Club the following note from Dr. Hooker: 



'•^Mr. Dyer has given me your note reporting the Epipactis Hellc- 

 borine, var. viridens, which you have been so ^ood as to send. I am 

 really very much interested in this discovery which on various ac- 

 counts is an exceedingly important one. It shows a connection be- 

 tween the American and European flora of the rarest kind; another 

 instance being the Spiranthes Romanzoviana., and a third, Eriocauhn 

 septangrdare. Another curious point is that your plant sliould talk 

 with us of the European varieties of the species, that species being 

 so variable a one, that, a priori^ it would have been expected that the 

 North American form should have differed irom all the European 

 ones! This shows a persistence of very subordinate and what are 

 supposed to be variable characters, of a very remarkable kind." — 



Jos. D. Hooker. 



