BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 298 



to bring them together considerable modification of the characters of 

 the genus Sclerochloa of Beauv. and of Atropis as defined by Trinius 

 must be effected. Inded I do not thinTc this can be accomplished with 

 reference to Nuttall's Poa Andina without separating from J\^a a 

 species which as naturally belongs there as %does P. alpina. With 

 respect to the plant generally known as Poa fciiuifolia,H\.\\.t., especially 

 if we include the larger California forms there is a wonderful variation 

 in nearly all the characters usually defined in the limitation of a 

 species, namely, in the height of culms, the length and rigidity 

 of leaves, both radical and cauline, the size of ligule.the size and form 

 of panicle, the length and spread of the rays, and to some extent in 

 the size and form of the flowering parts. From a very careful study 

 of hundreds of specimens I conclude that this species or group 

 of species is essentially characterized by linear, linear oblong or linear- 

 lanceolate flowering glumes,ofahard or firm texture, minutely scabrous, 

 convex or rounded on the back, and with the apex and more or less of 

 the margins scarious and peculiarly tinged with a yellowish bronze 

 color. The apex of the flowering glume may be acute or obtuse, en- 

 tire or erose. In Poa Andina, Nutt., as I understand that species, the 

 flowering glumes are broader, generally thinner in texture, less sca- 

 brous, smooth or softly and sparsely pubescent, keeled and generally 

 much compressed, in some forms quite as much compressed as in Poa 

 alpina. 



Usually Poa icniiifolia, has lon^s^, narrow outer glumes, sometimes 

 (juite equalling the flowering ones in length ; usually Poa Andina has 

 shorter and broader outer glumes. In my consideration oi tcnuifolia I 

 have included the large California forms, one of which I some years 

 ago described as Festuca Orci:^ona,(%tQ Box. GAZErrE for August 1877) 

 and whicii I now return to Atropis Californica on the authority of Gen'l 

 Munro, to whom I sent specimens which were returned to me with his 

 name as above and with synonym Sclerochloa Californica, Munro in 

 PI. Hartw. I particularly state this because in the Botany of Califor- 

 nia, Gen'l Munro's name is applied to the Poa Andina, Nutt. It is 

 not probable that Gen'l Munro has seen all the forms of the two plants, 

 but in view of their variability he may have even confounded the two. 

 In the species, or group of species, which I have taken for Poa tenui- 

 folia, Nutt., or Atropis Californica, Munro, there is such a perplexing 

 variety of forms that it may well be conjectured that Nature is now 

 engaged in the work of differentiation, and that in process of time the 

 lines will become more sharply defined and several new species estab- 

 lished. Geo. Vasey. 



Systcmjitic IJotauy Nevertheless.— 



"Tlie reason why I can not toll, 



[iut this alone I know full well, 



I do not like you, Dr. Fell." 

 And here the average amateur, interested in his local flora, and fond 

 of dabbling a little in systematic botany, had better, perhaps, take his 

 stand, when urged to study vegetable histology and physiology in- 

 stead. And yet, when you find that a very large proportion of those 

 who constitute the purchasers of botanical books (a very useful 



