H5 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN. 



though in upland thickets, where the frost stays late in the 

 ground, a few individuals may be found even so late as the 

 last of June. The lengthening of the peduncle after flow- 

 ering and the globular head of achenes with their long 

 plumose styles give a striking aspect to the plant as it 

 moves to and fro before the wind, a veritable little plumed 

 knight of the prairie. The plumose character of the styles 

 gave Pursh who first described the species the idea that it 

 was a clematis. He founded the species upon specimens 

 collected by Mr. Lewis on the plains drained by the Col- 

 umbia river. DeCandolle first assigned it to the genus 

 Anemone and gave it the specific name nnttalliana. Many 

 considered it only a form of the European Anemone patens 

 L,. This was the position held by Dr. Gray who called it 

 Anemone patens var. nnttalliana. The range of the species 

 is from Illinois to the Northwest Territory, British Colum- 

 bia, Nebraska, and Texas. Iowa is near the eastern border 

 of its range. 



Dr. C. C. Parry in his catalogue of plants of Wisconsin 

 and Minnesota published in Owen's report gives the follow- 

 ing interesting note concerning this species: "Pulsatilla 

 patens, (Mill.) May 15. In fruit. Galena, 111. This char- 

 acteristic and handsome plant occurs abundantly to the 

 north and west [Probably referring to Iowa] of the locality 

 specified, preferring high prairies and gravelly ridges, 

 which, in early spring, it adorns with its elegant blue flow- 

 ers, or later, with its no less beautiful plumed fruit. It 

 posesses the acrid properties, and probably equal medicinal 

 qualities, with a closely allied European species. It is said 

 by the Indians frequently to occasion sores on the lips of 

 children, attracted by their showy blossoms. It may farther 

 be mentioned as an interesting fact in connection with its 

 geographical range, that the same plant is found in New 

 Mexico, specimens from that locality having been shown 

 me by Dr. Englemann, of St. Louis." 



The specimens before us were collected in Winneshiek, 



