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AN ACCOUNT OF THE GENUS AKGEMONE. 

 By D. Prain. 



In the course of a study of the Papaveracece, it has heen found 

 difficult to reduce the various forms of Arf/emone to systematic order. 

 The genus does not appear at present to occupy the attention of 

 horticulturists ; it was, however, a favourite one in European 

 gardens between 1827 and 1840, and as it is just possible that it 

 may again come into fashion, an attempt at its arrangement may 

 not be out of place. In the hope of appreciating the relationship 

 of the various forms to each other, I have taken the opportunity 

 afforded by a temporary residence in Europe to examine the material 

 preserved in the herbaria of London, Paris, and Geneva. The 

 present paper embodies the results of this examination, and is to 

 be considered rather an account of the specimens of An/emone in 

 the herbaria examined than a final review of the genus. This 

 tentative revision is offered more in the hope that its perusal may 

 induce American botanists, who alone are in a position to undertake 

 the necessary field-study, to prepare the much-needed authoritative 

 review that is called for, than in the belief that my conclusions are 

 in every case justifiable. If, however, it is impossible to pronounce 

 a final opinion on the systematic rank of any, save one [A. fruticosa), 

 of the different forms here defined, it has been found possible, with 

 the assistance of the European material, to assign authoritatively 

 to all but one of them [A. corymhosa) their primary bibliographic 

 references. As this portion of the paper may prove of use to students 

 of the genus who cannot compare for themselves the specimens in 

 the herbaria I have consulted, I offer this as an excuse for the 

 preparation of a review that is incomplete as to matter and indefinite 

 in result. 



The public collections consulted have been the herbaria of Kew 

 (with the subsidiary Herb. Carey), of the British (Natural History) 

 Museum, and of the Linnean Society (Herb. Linmcus) in London ; 

 the herbarium of the Museum d'histoire naturelle (with its sub- 

 sidiary Herb. Tournefort, Herb. Lamarck, Herb. Jussieu, and Herb. 

 Durand) in Paris ; and the Public Herbarium of Geneva (including 

 Herb. Delessert) ; for facilities and assistance in examining these 

 I am deeply indebted to Mr. Dyer, Mr. Carruthers, M. Bureau, and 

 Dr. J. Mueller. At the same time I have examined the material in 

 the private herbaria of M. Casimir DeCandolle (including the 

 Prodromus Herb.) and of M. Bai'bey-Boissier at Geneva, as well as 

 that in the herbaria of M. Drake del Castillo (including Herb. 

 Richard) and of M. Cosson in Paris, all of Avbich have been most 

 kindly placed at my disposal by their respective owners. For much 

 kind help most ungrudgingly given during the study of this genus 

 my very warm than lis are also due to my friends M. Ad. Franchet 

 and Mr. C. B. Clarke. 



JouENAL OF Botany. — Vol. 33. [May, 1895.] k 



