measurements used to establish a diagnostic point (Rho- 
dora 85 (1983) tab. 253). In his description of the cap- 
sules and pedicels he gave comparative measurements. 
These are as follows for the Eurasian specimen: capsules 
5-7 mm. long; pedicels 8-5 mm. long. (I have examined 
the specimen in question and have arrived at the follow- 
ing measurements: capsules 4-6 mm. long; pedicels 3- 
4.25 mm. long). For the American plant Professor Fer- 
nald gave the following measurements: capsules 3-5 mm. 
long; pedicels 1-2 mm. long. In my herbarium there 
is a specimen from Vermont from which the following 
measurements were taken: capsules 3-5.5 mm. long; 
pedicels 2-8.5 mm. long. The measurements from the Ku- 
rasian plant in the Gray Herbarium and from my Ver- 
mont specimen, being from only two examples, are of 
course inconsequential in diagnostic value, yet I think 
they are useful as they show overlapping of measure- 
ments although Professor Fernald indicates otherwise. 
However, the differentiating value of measurements in 
this case vanishes completely if we turn to a specimen in 
the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden. This 
specimen was collected by P. Krylov in Siberia and in- 
cludes a raceme with mature fruits, the capsules being 
3.75-4.5 mm. long, the pedicels 2-2.5 mm. long. In the 
herbarium of the Field Museum of Natural History 
there is a fruiting specimen collected near Berlin in 1876 
by Retzdorf with the capsules 3.5-4 mm. long and the 
pedicels 2.5-8 mm. long. In the United States Na- 
tional Herbarium there is a specimen with mature fruits 
collected by Hausser in 1885 in Pomerania with capsules 
2.5-8.5 mm. long; pedicels 2-8 mm. long. Mr. Sum- 
merhayes has very kindly examined mature fruits of 
several specimens of the Eurasian plant preserved in the 
herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. The 
minimum and maximum measurements are as follows: 
[ 172 | 
