,u« 22 '''' 



THE GENUS OTHAKE RAF.* 

 B. F. Bush. 



While going over some specimens of Polypteris collected in 

 Texas by Mr. J. Reverchon about a year ago, I felt convinced 

 that there were more than three annual species in the collec- 

 tion, and began a study of the genus to ascertain just what 

 species the specimens under consideration represented, which 

 study has been continued as my spare time permitted, up to 

 the present. 



Through the courtesy of Prof. Wm. Trelease and Mr. 

 Richard Rathbun, I have been enabled to make a careful 

 examination of all the material of the species generally 

 referred to this genus in the herbarium of the Missouri 

 Botanical Garden and that of the United States National 

 Herbarium,! and I have concluded that it is better to treat 

 the species of the Southwestern United States as a separate 

 genus from the Southeastern plant on which Nuttall founded 

 the genus Poiupteris.X 



As it became apparent to me that the annual species, of 

 which Stevia callosa § may be taken as the type, must bear 

 another name, 1 began to examine the synonymy of PoJijp- 

 teris to ascertain if anyone had described the species under a 

 separate name. 



The earliest name to be applied to this group of plants 

 appears to have been given by Rafinesque, who in the New 

 Fl. Am. 4 : 73, 1836, takes up the Stevia callosa of Nuttall 



* Presented by title before The Academy of Science of St. Louis, May 2, 

 1904. 



t For the sake of convenience, I have used the letters M and N to signify 

 specimens from the herbarium of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the 

 United States National Herbarium respectively. 



X Nuttall, Gen. 2:139. 1818. 



§ Nuttall, Journ. Acad. Fhilad. 2:121. 1821. 



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