Studies in the Agalinanae,.a subtribe of the Rhinanthaceae * 
FRANCIS W, PENNELL 
I. NOMENCLATURE OF THE NEARCTIC GENERA 
As here defined the Agalinanae constitute a subtribe of the 
Buchnereae and include a group of closely allied genera, dis- 
tinguished from Buchnera and its nearer allies only by the normally 
developed two-celled anthers. These studies concern but a 
section of this group, all American save for one doubtful record 
from Madagascar, the genera listed by Von Wettstein in Die 
Natiirlichen Pflanzenfamilien as Esterhazya Mikan, Macranthera 
Torr., Seymeria Pursh, Silzia Benth., and Gerardia Linn. 
In this paper it is desired to place on a firm basis the nomen- 
clature of the genera occurring in North America north of the 
Mexican Boundary. This has not proved as easy as anticipated, 
owing to a misunderstanding of a number of older genera, chief 
among which is that of Gerardia itself. 
This paper divides itself naturally into two portions, a history 
of the genus Gerardia (Plumier) Linn., explaining the reason for 
its rejection as a genus of the Rhinanthaceae, and a history of the 
Rhinanthaceous genera proposed from time to time under which 
our species of this group must now be placed. This paper con- 
cludes with a summary of the nomenclature it is proposed to 
follow in these studies. 
In 1703 the French traveller and botanist, Charles Plumier, 
a member of the religious order of the Minimi, published a work, 
“Nova Plantarum Americanarum Genera,” containing descrip- 
tions of new genera observed during three voyages to America 
from 1689 to 1697. One of these is the new genus Gerardia. 
In this work, a volume of 52 pages of Latin text and 40 plates, 
I find little mention of the portions of America visited, but in 
the preface to the same author’s “‘ Description des Plantes de 
L’Amérique”’ more information is given. He tells us that he went 
*Contribution from the Botanical Laboratory of the University of Pennsyl- 
vania. 
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