[Vol. 8 
168 . ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 
sentatives will be seen to have come from no particular part of 
the range of the species and several forms may be found from 
the same locality. This has been interpreted to mean that the 
forms are but ecological variants or represent minor races that 
oecur independently again and again within the taxonomic 
species. One of the most marked of these forms has been given 
the specific name of praecox. This was first named the variety 
ò. humilis by Gray and is characterized by its low habit of growth, 
the shortened inflorescence, and the long-pedicelled flowers 
which are usually exceeded by the leaves. Hartman's collection 
from Chihuahua is the most aberrant specimen seen, and if 
future collections of this form are made from the same locality 
it would seem worthy of varietal rank. In this plant the pedi- 
cels are slightly sigmoid and the flowers red. The stellae, how- 
ever, are quite normal for the species. 
The most useful character in determining this species is found 
in the stellae. The entire plant has a silvery appearance due to 
the crowded scale-like or seurfy indument. Only L. Schaffneri 
and L. pueblensis of the glabrous podded forms have similar 
stellae and by careful comparison these can be differentiated by 
the form of the stellae alone. The chief differences between 
them lie in the pedicels, however. L. Fendleri seems to be 
without close relatives. Because of the unbranched rays of the 
scales it seems to be allied to the argyraea-Schaffneri group. 
16. L. Schaffneri Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 23: 254. 1888. 
Vesicaria Schaffneri Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 17: 320. 1882. 
Perennial, silvery stellate throughout, rays numerous, mostly 
simple, united nearly or quite to their apices and under a lens 
appearing as small circular scales; stems simple or branched, 
erect or decumbent, 1-4 dm. long; terminal bud apparently 
developing into a normal, fertile stem; radical leaves narrowly 
oblanceolate, entire, repand or lyrately pinnatifid, 2-6 cm. long, 
narrowed to a slender petiole; cauline leaves broadly oblanceo- 
late to nearly linear, entire, repand or with a few prominent 
teeth, obtuse or acute, 1-3 cm. long, narrowed to a slender peti- 
ole; petals narrowly spatulate, about 7 mm. long, yellow, fading 
purplish (?) ; filaments slightly broadened at the base; fruiting 
inflorescence elongated; pedicels distinctly sigmoid, 7-10 mm. 
