321 



NOTES ON TRILLIUM. 



By a. B. Rendle, M.A., D. Sc. 



(Plate 426.) 



Certain enquiries by American botanists as to the old types of 

 the species of this genus induced me to go somewhat exhaustively 

 into the matter. x\s repeatedly happens, the richness of the National 

 Collection in original and classic specimens was most helpful in the 

 elucidation of the more difficult forms, and I was in hopes of being 

 able to make a general revision of all the species. But it soon 

 became evident that, without a much larger suite of specimens than 

 at present exists either at the British Museum or Kew, a general 

 monograph which would add sufficiently to revisions already in 

 existence was out of the question. It seemed, however, advisable 

 to publish a careful account of the original specimens, since their 

 detailed description should be of considerable help to American 

 workers, who, having the great advantage of studying the plants in 

 the field, and of obtaining an unhmited supply of specimens, might 

 approach with confidence the subject of a monograph, if once the 

 identity of the earlier species were established. 



I have included a few notes on certain species and forms which 

 impressed me as more or less distinct ; some of them are based on 

 plants from Rugel's collection in the mountains of Carolina and 

 Tennessee, most of which cannot be consulted except in the National 

 Herbarium. Through the kindness of Mr. F. W. Burbidge, Mr. T. 

 Smith of Newry, and several others, I have been able to examine 

 cultivated specimens of a number of the species. 



1. Species ivit/i sessile Jiowers. Stigmas sessile. 

 1. Trillium sessile L. Sp. PI. 340 (1753). Trillium flore sessili 

 erecto. 



Linn£eu3 cites the following : — 



1. Paris foliis ternatis, flore sessili erecto. Gron. virg. 44. 



2. Solanum virginianum triphyllum, flore tripetalo atro- 

 purpureo in foliorum sinu, absque pediculo, sessiH. 

 Phik. aim. 352, t. Ill, f. 6. 



3. Solanum triphyllum, flore hexapetalo : tribus petalis pur- 

 pureis, ceteris viridibus reflexis. Catesb. car. i, p. 50, t. 50. 



We are fortunate in possessing the types of each of these authors 

 in the National Herbarium. 



1. Gron. virg. 44 (1743). "Paris foliis ternis, flore sessili erecto." 



This plant is in the Gronovian herbarium. It is no. 856 of 

 Clayton's Virginian plants, bearing the name, "Anonymos caule 

 simplici nudo, ad fastigium tribus solummodo foliis vestito, e 

 quorum medio flos purpureus irregularis exoritur : radicem habet 

 tuberosam striatam." 



The stem, which is broken off at the tuber, is 20 cm. high, 

 reaching barely 3 mm. in diameter ; the sessile bluntly elliptic-ovate 

 leaves are mottled, 5*5-6*5 cm. long by 4 cm. broad ; sepals lanceolate, 

 blunt, 2-7 cm. long by -8 cm. broad; petals lanceolate, acute, 3 by 

 •8 cm. ; filaments purple, broadening from base to apex, 4 mm. long 



Journal oe Botany. Vol. 39. [Oct. 1901.] 2 a 



