216 



Aphy lion fa scicnla turn ^ to vary in the direction oi A 



ijli 



In Montana three species occur, the two mentioned and 

 A, Ludoviciamim, The last, with A. fasciculatwn. Is abun- 

 dant everywhere, but more particularly in rocky or gravelly 

 places on high, bare hills. A. fasciciilatiim is said to occur on 

 Artemisia and some other plants, but I have never been able to 

 prove this satisfactorily to myself and the task has seemed more 

 hopeless from the fact that I have frequently found specimens of 

 this plant growing in soil where not even grass roots were pres- 

 ent, and have repeatedly dug specimens up with care in order to 

 " get at the root of the matter." I mention grass roots because 

 the variety luteum, Gray, of this species is said to infest the roots 

 of grasses. I have not yet found this variety in 

 doubt it occurs here. It was first discovered in Wyoming by 

 Dr. Parry. A, iinifloriun, is our rarest species unless indeed 



Montana 



/^ 



as to be indistin- 



guishable on the border line ; I have on many occasions collec- 

 ted forms of the latter that I could only identify by a careful 

 comparison with eastern and western specimens of the two spe- 

 cies. But one apparently constant feature Is to be observed ; it 

 is that the only typical specimens of A. u7tiJlorum here seem to 

 grow in damp thickets' or along the borders of copses. In simi- 

 lar situations true specimens of A, fasciculaUtm may also be 

 found, as well as upon the open plains and dry rocky hills; but 



the hills and plains. 



fasciculatum are seldom found except on 



/ 



(if I may so express it) has flowers almost as in A. tmijlornni, 

 perhaps a trifle longer, slightly tinged with purple, yet as clearly 

 yellowish tinged; the stem shorter than in typical A. fascicida- 

 tum, but as long again as in typical A. unifloniin and it has three 

 or four peduncles, (generally four) usually longer than in typical 

 A. fasciculatuvi, but considerably shorter than in typical A. ntd- 

 florum. From this general type, which is as evident and as com- 

 mon here as the typical A. fasciadatwn, the plant varies and 

 merges into A. fasciadatmn on the one hand and almost, if not 

 quite, merges into A. unijloriim on the other. For the past six 



