14 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO WESTERN BOTANY NO. 15 



vvith little doubt the same as A. Blakei, ar.d of which A. Robbinsii is a 

 variety. I find the same tendency to variation in the allied species A 

 andinus, _ elegans and aboriginum. Fernald is also another hair-splitter, 

 whose distinctions become hopelessly attenuated. I have seen about all 

 the material extant on this group and so far my conclusions are in mv 

 monograph page 133. I ean find nothing to hang a valid species upon. 

 Astragalus Nuttallianus DC. Rydberg has at last got his seizors on this 

 hapless species, and the result is hopeless dismemberment. If he would 

 take some kindergarten course in ecology, he at least would have a chance 

 to leam that there is such a study, and that ecological conditions cau^e 

 variations m the same species according to its susceptibility to chancre 



In the matter of specific distinctions I can see little difference heUveen 

 Kyoberg and Pemald Both are splitters from Splitville, though Rydber- 

 glones in wallowing m the mire. While Fernald does not seem to kno^ 

 til it he 13 m it. 



FERNALD 



Alnus Tringlei Fernald. Robinson in Proc. Am. Acad. 44 No. 21 

 page 612 gives a locality for this plant as collected by me at Terreria, 

 Jalisco: I never collected any plant at Terreria, if there be such a place.' 

 The plant in question was collected at Ferreria in the Tapalpa moun- 



tarns, east of the vulcan 



Troximon Nutt Fernald in Proc. Am. Acad. 72 p. 126 attempts to 

 refute Hall in upholding Troximon instead of Agoseris Raf. I do not 

 think that Fernald is very consistent in his stand in the matter, for it is 

 perfectly certain that Troximon as a genus was properly published in 

 I^uttall's Genera. It is true that the word Gaertn. was given as the 

 author of the genus by Nuttall, but the mere name Gaertn. is the only 

 e^udence that he was the author of the name. That Troximon Nutt not 

 Gaertner has valid standing is evident, and should not be replaced by 

 Agoseris as Hall contends. As to the prority of Krigia over Cynthia I am 

 not discussing, and I do not know how it can be decided. But Troximon 



Nutt. must be based on T. glaucura, which was not included in Gaertuer's 

 genus. 



Fernald. Cont. Gray Herbarium 76 p. 215. In closing his descrip- 

 tion of Astragalus, Fernald makes the folloA^-ing remark: "A. stra-alus 

 IS close y related to A Yukonis Jones,-a species of similar habit from 

 he \ ukon Jones s description is very contradictory, he stating in the 

 key that A. Yukonis has leaves sessile, very many. Leaflets 6-8 pairs, 

 but in the detailed description, leaves all rather long-petioled." Leaf- 

 Jets 3-5 pairs. I am obliged for calline attention to th^ d 



exasperatih 



ib 



Ri-ecautions. But why "very contradictory?" It is a common comment of 



