OBSERVATIONS ON THE COMPOSITZ. 7 
nounce the hebarium specimens of them to be all of a single 
species. But a lens reveals a marked difference in the 
superficial anatomy of the leaves, and a slight difference in 
the achenes, but this is all. That they are two excellent 
species of one genus, is likely to be the opinion of as many 
botanists as may be able to consider the question with 
unbiased mind; unless, perchance, a time shall come when 
histological characters, such as the inner structure of leaves, 
shall be deemed sufficient for the distinguishing of genera in 
default of any difference in flower or fruit. I enter this 
proviso here, because the venulation of the leaf-surfaces in 
these two plants is remarkably different, though neither in 
habit or peculiarities of floral structure, or character of fruit 
can anything more than specific differences be found. 
These two subtropic maritime shrubs were, I think, never 
received as very welcome accessions to Solidago; and each of 
them has in turn been made the type of a distinct genus; and 
both the men who have thus dealt with one or both the 
plants were botanists of note and something of specialists in 
the Composite. Nuttall, who founded CHurysoma on the 
first species, did not know the second. Asa Gray, who knew 
both, suppressed CHRysoMA by remanding its type to 
Solidago, and then elevated the second to the rank of a new 
genus under the name of Gundlachia! And this is not the 
worst of it. There is rather a classic sheet of herbarium 
specimens of “ Gundlachia” which, both at the time of his 
publishing that synonym, and afterwards in the Synoptical 
Flora, he mistook for the other species, that is, for Solidago 
pauciflosculosa. It will be seen, by reference to the Synop- 
tical Flora, that S. pauciflosculosa is credited to the 
Bahama Islands; but the sheet of specimens which furnished 
the author with his only basis for this statement is surely a 
sheet of “Gundlachia.” I shall speak of these specimens 
again. 
As I have intimated in an earlier article, Solidago must 
stand upon its habit and inflorescence. If these be not 
1ERYTHEA, i. 56. 
