Preliminary Note on the North American Species of the Genus 



Tissa, Adans. 



By N. L. Britton. 



Botanists have had great difficulty in limiting the species of 

 Sand Spurrey. There is, indeed, perhaps no other genus of flow- 

 ering plants concerning whose specific composition more widely 

 diverse views have been propounded. Thus we find Mr. Bentham 

 in 1862 (Genera Plantarum, i. 152) regarding the species as "3 

 vel 4," while N. C. Kindberg's elaborate Monograph of the follow- 

 ing year (Nova Acta Reg. Soc. Sci. Upsal. (III.) vii. fasc. i.) con- 

 tains descriptions and figures of not less than 25. Durand's re- 

 cent " Index Generum Phanerogamorum " repeats the Bentha- 

 mian view, which Baillon also apparently defends (Histoire des 

 Plantes, ix. 116) saying "species ad 3." This last is the latest 

 expression we have had on the subject, published indeed, during 

 the past year, and we may now look with much interest for the 

 dictum of the distinguished authors of " Die Naturliche Pflanzen- 

 familien " which has not as yet treated of the Carophyllese. 



So far as North American botanists have been concerned with 

 their native plants, there has not been much difference of opinion 

 expressed — however much may have otherwise existed — for the 

 species have never yet been systematically brought together. 

 The Eastern Manuals have recognized three species; the Botany 

 of California describes two (one of them also eastern), four new 

 species have recently been named, another (if my supposition is 

 correct) frequent in the alkaline area of the Andes, extends to 

 Southern California, and still another, abundant in the Mediter- 

 ranean region, is found in our Western and Southern States. I 

 have not ventured to unite any of these species, nor to describe 

 any more, although there are plenty of indications from the her- 

 baria that other forms, species or varieties will sooner or later 

 claim recognition. I have thus recognized ten species, all but one 



