from the bibliographic evidence, Spiranthes Becku Lindl. 
‘*taxonomically ’” was as hopeless a muddle as could be 
imagined since it was concocted from elements of several 
different species. He pointed out in detail how Lindley, 
at a time when nomenclatural procedure was governed 
by less rigid rules than are now observed, adopted the 
specific name ‘‘ Beckii’’ in violation of all obligations to 
the synonymy cited. Fernald, consequently, quite prop- 
erly dismissed the name, S. Becki, as being doubly il- 
legitimate. He also recognized two strongly marked 
geographic variations in S. tuberosa, a southern one and 
a northern one. He assigned the species name to the 
southern element and reduced S. Gray to varietal status 
for the northern element. 
Actually and taxonomically Spiranthes Becki is the 
ancient, well-established and well-known S. gracilis 
(Bigel.) Beck, which nomenclaturally antedates S. tu- 
berosa by nine years. When John Lindley, in his 
‘*Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants’* (1840), 
described 8. Becku, he cited two collections of specimens 
as being referable to it: one from Massachusetts (without 
collector), the other from Louisiana (Drummond 8382). 
The type sheet of SS. Becki in Lindley’s herbarium at 
Kew contains these two collections, and also a third con- 
sisting of two plants from Albany, New York, collected 
by Beck. As Lindley did not refer directly to these New 
York plants in his description, it may well be that they 
were acquired after 1840 and consequently should be ex- 
cluded from any discussion of the Lindleyan type of SS. 
Becku. (It may be noted, however, that camera-lucida 
drawings of the lips of the New York plants, made by 
Victor S. Summerhayes, show that in outline and neu- 
ration they exemplify 8. gracilis (Bigel.) Beck). 
The Massachusetts specimen on the type sheet (col- 
lector unknown) is accompanied by the following note: 
[ 18 ] 
