GLEASON: STUDIES ON WEstT INDIAN VERNONIEAE 331 
Lepidaploa, Paniculatae dichotomae 
VERNONIA MENTHAEFOLIA (Pépp.) Less. Linnaea 4: 268. 1829. 
Eupatorium menthaefolium Pépp. in Spreng. Syst. 3: 412. 1826. 
Vernonia Grisebachii Sch.-Bip. Jour. Bot. 1: 231. 1863. | 
The original description of this species by Péppig is too brief 
to be of any value at the present time. But his specimens were 
preserved, and examined later by both Schultz and Lessing. Les- 
sing gives a detailed description, based on these types, stating that 
the heads are many-flowered and 3 lines high. Schultz’ descrip- 
tion, referring without doubt to the same specimens, or to dupli- - 
cates of them, indicates that the heads are 11-flowered and the 
involucre hardly 1 line high. He then described V. Grisebachii, 
as cited above, to include the forms with large heads, based on 
Wright 1305. Examination of an ample series of specimens at the 
present time reveals but one species, agreeing with Lessing’s and 
Schultz’ descriptions, but never with the small heads ascribed by 
the latter to V. menthaefolia. In the series examined are two of 
Wright's collections, 282 and 2792, and Shafer 8811, which was 
found by Dr. Britton to agree with the specimen of Wright 1305 
in the Kew herbarium. Throughout the series the heads have 
II to 18 flowers, and the involucres are 4-5 mm. high. The 
leaves show considerable variation, from narrowly oblong-lanceo- 
late, acuminate at both ends, to ovate, rounded at the base and 
acute at the apex. These characters are not sufficiently definite 
or constant to permit the recognition of two species. 
V. menthaefolia is the most abundant species of the genus in 
Cuba, judged from the frequency of its collection, and occurs 
throughout the island. 
Among recent accession to the Herbarium of the New York 
Botanical Garden is an Eremosis from the state of Durango, which 
differs distinctly from all the fifteen described species of the genus. 
Eremosis ovata sp. nov. 
_ Shrubby; height and habit not stated; stem obscurely striate, 
closely cinereous-pubescent, becoming tomentulose in the inflores- 
cence; leaves thick, firm, ovate to ovate-elliptic, 7-10 cm. long, 
4-5 cm. wide, obtuse or subacute, entire, obtuse at base, dull 
green, minutely and softly tomentulose above, densely cinereous- 
