An undescribed Lechea from Maine. 



By Eugene P. Bicknell. 



One of the most characteristic plants of York Harbor, Maine, 

 is a species o{ Lechea which abounds in dry open places, especially 

 over the weedy downs near the sea. Upon visiting York Harbor 

 some years ago my attention was at once arrested by this plant, 

 which was obviously neither Lechea intermedia nor Lechea marithnay 

 the only eastern pinweeds which could be considered at all in 

 connection with it. Subsequent investigation discovered that the 

 plant, though it had never been discussed in print, had not been 

 overlooked by botanists, but had been a long-standing puzzle vari- 

 ously solved, it appeared, in terms of one or the other of the 

 species named above. Material from different collectors which 

 had formed part of Mr. Leggett's collection and bore his penciled 

 memoranda showed that the plant had perplexed that careful stu- 

 dent of the genus, who had at different times referred it doubtfully 

 both to Lechea intermedia and to Lechea maritima and had at least 

 entertained the idea that it might be referable to the more western 

 Lechea stricta. It may be said here that Mr. Leggett's material 

 was not fairly representative of the plant and was quite insufficient 

 to form a basis for any safe conclusions. For this reason the 

 same material was passed over by Dr. Britton in his revision of the 

 genus (Bull. Torn Club, 21 : 244-253, 1894), which therefore 

 affords no help in the present case. In Dr. Robinson's re- 

 cent critical treatment of the genus (Syn. Fl. i: Part i, 192-194, 

 1895) we find the first published notice of the Maine plant. It is 

 there mentioned under Lechea stricta as being nearly related to 

 that species, but as probably to be referred to Lechea intermedia. 

 The case, therefore, stands to-day just as it was left by Mr. Leg- 

 gett over fifteen years ago. 



During several visits to York Harbor in August this pinweed 

 has claimed my particular attention, and I have realized in the 

 field that the problem it presented was indeed a perplexing one. 



