Studies in the Composite. 



I. 



About as natural a genus of Madioid Composites as we 



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hare in western North America, is that which in all our 

 books goes by the name of Laijia. The species number 

 scarcely a dozen and a half, but exhibit much diversity in the 

 characters of the pappus; and as the discovery of the leading 

 types was made at a time very slight differences in the pappus 

 were considered sufficient to establish genera, no less than 

 eight genera were proposed almost within the first decade of 

 the written history of these plants, each having some one or 

 two of the species as its representative. The names proposed 

 were as follows: Bhpharipapjrus (Hook.), CaUichroa 

 (Fisch. & Mey.), Oxyiini and Madaroglossa (DC), Erio- 

 pappus (Arnott), Layi'a and Calliglossa (Hook. & Aru.), 

 and Calliachyris (Torr. & Gray). Seven of these were pro- 

 posed between the years 1833 and 1838. Asa Gray some 

 years later added the eighth; and then, long afterwards, hav- 

 ing by experience learned how little dependence could be 

 placed upon the pappus here, merged the eight genera iu 

 one, and was followed by Bentham and Hooker. Dispensing 

 himself from obedience to the law of priority, he chose for 

 the genus, not the first, but the fourth or fifth of those pub- 

 lished names; and that the only one of all the eight which 

 had been employed before, and might therefore revert to 

 another genus. 



Some investigations made a year ago bronglit me to the 

 conclusion that CaUichroa must be received as tlie lawful 

 name for the genus; and this I stated lately, on page 227 

 precedmg.^ This was done too hastily; for I now discover 

 that Sir William Hooker's type of his genus BlcpharipnpV^^^ 



