464 Rydberg : Notes on Philotria Raf. 



ton, Ky., Robert Peters, pistillate; Linn County, Kansas, 1897, 

 G. L. Clothier, sterile ; Fox Lake, Wayne Co., Ohio, 1899, Selby 

 & Diivel 1321, sterile; Milwaukee, Wis., 1887, H. E. Basse, pis- 

 tillate, long-leaved. The form has been raised to specific rank 

 under the name 



Philotria minor (Engelm.) Small, Fl. SE. U. S. 47. 1903. 

 Besides these, there seems to be another undescribed species : 



Philotria linearis sp. nov. 



Apparently dioecious, stem slender, 3-5 dm. long ; leaves 

 hnear, acute, about i cm. long, scarcely i mm. wide, entire ; 

 spathe of the staminate plant peduncled ; peduncle 3-4 mm. long ; 

 body ovate, about 3 mm. long; sepals broadly oval, 2.5 mm. 

 long ; petals oblong ; stamens 9, anthers oblong, 2 mm. long. 



The type was collected in swamps bordering on Cumberland 

 River, vicinity of Nashville, Tenn., by Dr. A. Gattinger. The 

 pistillate plant is unknown unless a specimen collected at Center 

 City, Minn., in 1892, by B. C. Taylor, belongs here. It resembles 

 the pistillate plant of P. minor, but the leaves are longer and more 

 flaccid ; the tube of the flower is 4-6 cm. long ; the sepals and 

 petals more oblong. 



P. linearis resembles P. Planchonii in having stalked staminate 

 spathe, but differs in that the spathe itself is much smaller and 

 abruptly contracted at the base, the sepals are of about half the 

 size of those of that species, and petals are present. 



With the material on hand it is almost impossible to determine 

 how many species are found in this country and their limitation. 

 From the present knowledge I would think the number to be at 

 least six. Of these I append here a temporary key, wishing to call 

 the attention of the botanists of this country to the confusion ex- 

 isting and to give a tentative basis on which to build further study. 



Leaves oblong or ovate-oblong, mostly obtuse ; staminate flowers unknown. 



P. canadensis. 



Leaves linear or oblong, mostly acute ; hermaphrodite flowers unknown. 

 Staminate spathe sessile. 



Leaves oblong or lance-oblong, 2-3 mm. wide, spathe of staminate flowers 



5-6 mm. long ; anthers 2-2.5 mm. long. P- Nuttalhi. 



Leaves linear, i mm. wide or less ; staminate spathe 2-3 mm. long ; anthers 

 about I mm. long. 

 Leaves l cm. long or more ; sepals and petals l.S-2 mm. long. 



P. angustifolia. 



