﻿Farwell: Michigan Species of Polygonatum 249 



three other species, P. virginicum, P. horeale, and P. cuneatum, 

 bringing the total number of species described for America up to 

 twelve; but these, like most of the others, have not been generally 

 accepted as valid. Dr. Hooker, in 1840, united the nine species 

 then known and placed them all under P. multiflorum as var. 

 americaniim. Dr. Torrey followed the lead of Hooker and went 

 even further by uniting them all under P. multiflorum, not even 

 giving them varietal rank. In the first edition of the Manual, 

 Asa Gray recognized P. puhescens Pursh and P. canaliculatum 

 Pursh. In the second edition, the former becomes P. biflorum 

 Ell., the latter, P. giganteum Dietr., and a third species, P. lati- 

 folium Desf., is admitted. In later editions P. commutatum super- 

 sedes P. giganteum and P. latifolium is eliminated. 



As stated above, Walter was the first to describe an American 

 species under Convallaria, and his description is as follows: 

 biflora 2. foliis semiamplexicaulibus trinervis laevibus, oblongis, 



acutis, altnernis; caule tereti laevi; pedunculis solitariis bi- 



floris axillar, fioribus fiavescentibus. 



Willdenow's descriptions, in part, of C. pub esc ens and of C. 

 canaliculata are as follows: 



Convallaria pubescens 

 Convallaria foliis alternis amplexicaulibus ovatis subtus pubes- 



subbifloris. . . . 



Folia alterna ovata secunda basi leviter amplexicaulia integerrima 

 nervosa, nervis 7 majoribus, supra saturate viridia glabra, 

 subtus albicantia et ad nervos pilis albis obsita. Pedunculi 

 uni- vel biflori secundi nutantes axillares. Corolla . . . 

 albido-flavescens .... 



Convallaria canaliculata foliis alternis amplexicaulibus oblongis 

 margine pubescentibus, caule canaliculate, pedunculis bifloris 

 axillaribus. 



Differt a Convallaria pubescenti: foliis oblongis glabris margine 

 tantum tenuissime pubescentibus, coralla magnitudine et facie 

 Convallariae Polygonati. Hanc sub nomine Convallariae multi- 

 florae in Flora boreali-Americana indicavit Michaux p. 202. 



