NOTEWORTHY SPERMATOPHYTES. 529 



On page 213 of the same work occurs the following: 



"Convolvulus. V. Patate. 



Convolvulus Americanus. V. Jalap, Liane purgative. 



Convolvulus marinus catharticus. V. Liane purgative du bord de la mer. 



Convolvulus tinctorius. V. Liseron." 



While on page 251 is found the following: 



"Jalap. — Syn. Jalapa, Mirabilis, Convolvulus Americanus, Ray." 



From the above we see that the references of Choisy in DC. Prod, 

 ix. 342 and 418, of Hook. f. & Jacks. Ind. Kew. i. 600, and of House, 

 North American Species of Ipomoea, 205, are incorrect in several 

 particulars. The binomial is Convolvulus americanus not C. africanus. 

 The name of the author is Nicolson, not Nickols, as given by the 

 Index Kewensis, nor Nich., as given by Choisy (page 418). The 

 name of the work is Essai sur I'histoire naturelle de I'isle de Saint- 

 Domingue, obscurely abbreviated by Choisy (p. 342) to h. St. Dom., 

 and mistakenly rendered by the Index Kewensis as Hort. St. Doming. 



Finally it remains to ascertain whether this early name really belongs 

 to the species Ipomoea cathartica Poir., to which it has been referred 

 by these authors, and whether if so it should replace this later name. 



The cross-references in Nicolson's work show an association by that 

 author of his Liane purgative with Convolvulus americanus of Ray 

 and also with the vernacular name Jalap. On referring to Ray's 

 well known Historia Plantarum, iii. 372 (1704), we find three uses of 

 the name Convolvulus Americanus, namely: 



" 17. Convolvulus Americanus, vulgaris folio, capsulis triquetris numerosis, 

 ex uno puncto longis petiolis propendentibus, semine lanugine ferruginea vil- 

 loso Pluk. Almag. Bot. Hujus species major habetur. Mock-climber Barba- 

 densibus dicta." 



"19. Convolvulus AmencaMJiS sub Jalapiae nomine receptus Pluk. Phyt. 

 T. 25. F. 1. An Convolv. colubrinus Pisonis Caapeba?" 



"22. Convolvulus Americanus, subrotundis foliis viticulis spinosis Pluk. 

 Almag. Bot. T. 276. F. 4. An Convolvulus Peruvianas perpetuus seu Holo- 

 liuchi Hort. Fames. Fig. 4? Reliqua vide apud Autorem." 



Of these three uses of Convolvulus americanus by Ray, it is clear 

 that the first (Ray's no. 17) is Ipomoea polyanthes G. F. W. Mey., 

 while the third (Ray's no. 22), described as having suborbicular 

 leaves and being spiny must have referred to Plukenet's Plate 276, 

 fig. 3 rather than fig. 4 as stated, and was Calonyction aculeatum (L.) 

 House. That it was to the second, namely Ray's no. 19, to which 



