REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST FOR I92I 59 



.S. annuus Thuill. FI. Par. Ed. 2, 22. 1799 

 S. m u 1 1 i c a u 1 i s C. C. Gmel Fl. Bad., i : 96. 1806. Not Vahl 

 E 1 e o c h a r i s o v a t a R. Br. Prodr., i : 224. 1810 



A common annual species of Spike Rush, found in most sections 



of the State. 



Juncoides intermedium (Thuill.) Rydb. 

 (J. m u 1 1 i f 1 o r u m Druce) 



var. echinatum (Small) comb. nov. 



Juncoides echinatum Small, Torreya, i : 74. 1901 

 Luzula multiflora var. e c h i n a t a Fernald & Wiegand, Rhodora, 

 15: 42. 1913 



A southern extreme of the common wood rush, extending north- 

 ward, chiefly in the coastal plain across southern New York into 

 New England. Inflorescence looser and rarely with more than one 

 of the heads sessile, others more spreading and often widely diver- 

 gent, some of the rays 5 cm long. 



Quercus rubra L. Sp. PI. 996. 1753 



Q. rubra, B. L., 1. c. 



Q. r u b r a maxima Marsh. Arb. Am. 122. 1785 



Q. rubra var. latifolia Lam. Encycl., i: 721. 1785 



Q. b o r e a 1 i s var. maxima Sarg. Rhodora, 18 : 48. 1916 



According to Sargent (Rhodora, 17: 39. 1915) the Linnaean 

 type of Q . r u b r a is tlie tree more recently called Q . f a 1 c a t a 

 or Q . d i g i t a t a , and hence chiefly south of our borders. This 

 is quite parallel to the confusion which Sargent has caused in the 

 names of the balsam poplar, the chestnut oak, and other species. 



If Q. rubra rested absolutely upon the Gronovian and Plukenet 

 citations, as Sargent seems to assume, the change though regrettable, 

 might be excused. However, it happens that Q . rubra was 

 briefly described by Linnaeus in the Species Plantarum, and the 

 Gronovian and Plukenet citations merely appended ; and in this case, 

 as in numerous other Linnaean species of the species Plantarum, 

 wrongly so. Nothing is to be gained by such a change and in most 

 instances of this sort the alternative plant (Q. f alcata, in this 

 case), has since received a valid name, and the well-known and long- 

 used Linnaean name can be retained by merely excluding the wrongly 

 appended citations. 



It is of little consequence that the specimen in the Linnaean 

 herbarium under Q . r u b r a is not our northern species. The 

 Linnaean herbarium is full of such examples if we may judge from 

 the detailed reports by various authors upon the examinations made. 

 Asa Gray v.-as one of the first to take formal notice of this condition, 

 and his treatment of such cases shows a wisdom which time has 

 amply justified. 



In' the case of Populus balsamifera, while the plates 

 cited by Linnaeus are not of our northern species, the species in the 



