288 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 
The Melanthacee form the least of the three divisions of the order, 
numbering 28 genera and only 112 species. The OColchicee belong 
exclusively to Europe and the Mediterranean region. The Veratree 
are almost as exclusively North American, a few species occurring in 
Eastern Asia and Veratrum extending into Europe. It is the only tribe 
that in North America enters Mexico, and the only one that finds rep- 
resentation in the southern hemisphere in the allied Anguillariee of 
Africa and Australia. The Heloniee have two monotypical genera in 
the Atlantic States, and three others (including Metanarthecium) in 
Japan. The Tofieldiee, occupying the northern temperate zone, seem 
to have a solitary representative (a species of Zofieldia) in the moun- 
tains of Peru, while Hewardia of Australia is in some respects analo- 
gous to Pleea of the Southern Atlantic States. 
In general and in conclusion, this hasty and imperfect sketch of the 
more prominent facts in respect to the distribution of the order, while 
showing the evident connection of the northern floras of the continents, 
also indicates a certain, though more distant, relationship (however it 
may be accounted for) between the flora of Pacific America and that 
of South Africa and of Australia. 
II. Descriptions of some new Species of North American Plants. 
THALICTRUM POLYCARPUM. Rather stout, 2 or 3 feet high or 
more, glabrous throughout: leaves with short petioles or the upper 
sessile; leaflets variable, 3 to 12 lines long, the lobes acutish to 
acuminate: panicle narrow, often small; the staminate usually 
crowded, with flowers on short pedicels: anthers linear, acute, on very 
slender filaments: styles scarcely attenuate upward: fruit usually in 
dense heads, compressed, broadly oblong-obovate or obovate, abruptly 
acute, subreticulately 5-5-nerved, 2} or 3 lines long: seed linear, 
terete, nearly 2 lines long. — 7. Fendleri, var. (?) polycarpum, Torr. 
in’ Pacif. R. Rep. 4. 61, in part. TZ. Fendleri, Brew. & Wats. Bot. 
Calif. 1. 4, mainly. Pacific Coast Ranges from Monterey (or Los 
Angeles ?) to Oregon (Washington County, J. Howell) ; also in the 
Sierra Nevada.— T. OCCIDENTALE, Gray, is a similar species, with 
more slender open panicles, the staminaté very diffuse with slender 
elongated pedicels; style attenuate; fruit usually few (1 to 6) in 
each head, narrowly oblong (3 to 4 lines long) and attenuate at 
each end; seed nearly 3 lines long. It ranges from British Columbia 
to W. Montana and N. E. California (Plumas County, Mrs. Austin). 
