154 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



ground to vegetate, and young plants therefore never appear in a meadow or 

 grassy place. In such positions plants only exist that had a footing in advance 

 of the grass. They then propagate exclusively by runners. After being two 

 or thre« years in this situation they form patches of one or several square feet 

 each. Now it is not easy to appreciate a minute difference between one single 

 specimen and another; but when a score or more of specimens of one are 

 matched against a similar number of the other, the minutia; make an aggre- 

 gate which is readily estimated. So we shall find in the case of a two or three 

 year old meadow, filled with this plant, that not only are no two patches alike, 

 but that the eye convinces us of the fact on the first glance over the field. 

 Plain as the differences thus presented were, I found, however, some difficulty 

 in describing them in language ; and besides being a dioecious plant there 

 might be brought in the objection of intercrossing between allied species of 

 this or neighboring genera, if not of the individuals of the opposite sexes them- 

 selves, to account for so many forms. I therefore chose Epigiea, as belonging 

 to a natural order exclusively hermaphrodite ; containing only one natural 

 species; not vei-y closely allied to any of the neighboring genera, Andromeda, 

 Clethra, Gaultheria, &c. ; none of which, at any rate, flower at the same time 

 with it. 



On the 19th of April I gathered specimens from sixteen different plants on 

 the Wissahickon, without taking any pains to make any particular selection of 

 varieties. The following descriptions show their variations : 



1. Tube of the corolla half inch long, contracted in the middle ; segments of 

 the corolla broadly ovate, one-third the length of the tube, incurved, pure white. 

 Scales of the calyx two-thirds the length of the tube, narrowly lanceolate, in- 

 terior ones white and membranaceous with a crimson base. 



2. Tube half inch, regularly cylindrical ; segments half as long as the tube, 

 triangularly ovate, light rose, incurved. Scales one-third the length of the 

 tube, white, coriaceous. 



3. Tube quarter inch, thick (one-eighth wide), cylindrical ; segments rather 

 longer than the tube, triangularly ovate, incurved, deep rosy pink. Scales 

 three-fourths the length of the tube, rosy red, with white margins. 



4. Tube nearly half inch, contracted at the summit ; segments very short, 

 scarcely one-sixteenth of an inch, forming nearly five ovate repand teeth, 

 purplish white. Scales greenish white, simply acute. 



5. Tube quarter inch long, one-eighth wide ; segments lanceolate, erect, 

 two-thirds as long as the tube, rosy purple. Scales brown, not margined, 

 drawn out to a long fine point. 



6. Tube quarter inch, cylindrical ; segments oblong ovate, recurved, as long 

 as the tube. One of the anthei's slightly 2>etaloid. Scales prolonged into 

 almost an awn. 



7. Tube much narrowed at the summit, quarter inch long; segments less 

 than one-sixteenth of an inch long, pale purple. Scales greenish brown, very 

 narrow. 



8. Tube near half inch, contracted in the middle; segments quarter inch, 

 linear lanceolate, bright rose. Scales half the length of the tube, broadly 

 ovate, membranaceous, simply sharp pointed. 



9. Tube half inch, cylindrical; segments quarter inch, of which there are 

 but three broadly ovate, white. 



10. Tube nearly three-quarters inch, cylindrical ; segments quarter inch, 

 narrowly ovate. Scales as long as the tube, linear lanceolate, pale green. 



11. Tube less than quarter inch, and shorter than the luxuriant foliaceous, 

 mucronate scales. Segments of the corolla two-thirds as long as the tube, 

 broadly ovate, pure white. 



12. Tube quarter inch, increasing slightly in width upwardly (funnel- 

 shaped), one-eighth thick at the top of the tube ; segments short, ovate, re- 

 flexed, light pink. Scales longer than the tube, green, white margined. 



13. Tube quarter inch, much contracted in tlie middle ; segments quarter 



[May 



