384 



ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



least a marked variety of D. meadia, if not a new 

 species. 



Varions species of Desmodium grow iiere in the 

 woods and fields, several of which are worthy of 

 notice. In one place I found a specimen of Des- 

 modium nudifiorum having two scapes, one nalied 

 tiie other bearing about midway a tuft of leaflets. 

 The shape of the leaflets and otlier characters were 

 decidedly D. nudifiorum. 



Near Cobden I found a specimen of Desmodium 

 paucifiorum with the scape coming out at the base 

 of the plant, as in D. nudifiorum, but having a tuft of 

 leaflets at about the middle. In this plant the shape 

 of the leaves was that of D. paucifiorum. I also found 

 several specimens that seem to combine the habits 

 of D. paucifiorum and D. acuminatum. Tliey were 

 not more than ten or twelve inches higli, and about 

 midway had a node of leaves from which rose a 

 short scape, or flower-stalk, bearing a few flowers 

 of the color and size of those of D. paucifiorum. The 

 leaves were very,ffl(Wh pointed, like those of D. 

 acuminatum. — ^ these^ieculiarities show a hybrid- 

 ization in these specie*; or are they variable forms 

 of one species ? 



Prof. E. J. mil, of Kankakee, 111., communi- 

 cates notes and specimens of a few interesting 

 plants, from which we give the following ex- 

 tracts : '' 



I inclose a specimen oiJuncus Greenii. In some speci- 

 mens the invohicral leaf is 6 inches long. The pods are 

 longer than the sepals, and blunt. It has one or two 

 involute thread-form leaves at the base. The cymes are 

 large, making a heavy head; and tjjgrjlant stands up 

 rigidly, growing from 18 inches to 2}^ feet high. Its 

 locality is the prairie north of the Kankakee river, and 

 it was quite abundant. There was considerable sand 

 in the soil. I find in the same soil Scleria (riglomerata, 

 Michx., and a Fimbrisiylii v/Mch I take to be F. spadicea, 

 Vahl. 



I mentioned to you Elyncliospora cymosa, Nutt. After 

 a thorough reiSxamiuation, I can make nothing else of 

 my specimens. The leaves are linear, flat and keeled . 

 The culm is leafy, triangular, smoothj 10 to 20 inches 

 high, with terminal and axillary cyines.' I found it in 

 the sandy barrens west of here, growing in the edge of 

 sloughs. The FimhristyUs grew in tlie same locality. 



I spoke to you of a t;ill UfmU-aiplia sitlsquarrosa. By 

 actual measurcmoiit I lin.l tlic lallest Si inches high. 

 It was probably due In tin- lint lliat they grew in the 

 shade, in the mid.st of a ilaiise growth o{ Eragrostis rep- 

 tans, and various taller weeds, on a low inundated 

 island of the river; the richness of the soil and the 

 struggle for sunlight stretched them out. 



I inclose a specimen of Oonobea multifiia, Beuth., 

 about which there seems to be some discrepancies of 

 description. Dr. Gray says: "Upper lip of the corolla 

 3-lobed, the lower 3-parted. Style 2-lobed at the apex, 

 the lobes wedge-form. Leaves opposite. Flowers small, 

 solitary, on axillary 2-bractleted peduncles." 



It is described by Michaux (Flor. Bor. Am.) as Cap- 

 raria multifida. He says: "Corolla campauulate, 5- 



parted, acute. Capsule 2-valved, 2-ceUed, many-seeded. 

 Leaves ternately verticiUate, many-parted; pedicels 

 solitary." 



Sprengel (Syst. Veg.), under Vaprnria, describes the 

 capsule as 2-celled, valves 2-cleft. I'mlrr IT, rj:,stris he 

 says: "Capsule 2-ceUed, 2-valM,l. \;il\(^ -J-iKU-ted." 

 The last is the case with this iilani. iln- \:il\cs being 

 finally 2-parted. Sjirengel characlciizes Cunulea thus: 

 "Calyx tubulous, 5-dentate, 3 bracts at the base; cor- 

 olla 2-Upped, upper hp emarginate, lower lip 3-lobed; 

 capsule 4-valved, etc." 



By stretching a point the 2-lipped corolla can be made 

 out, and the finiil result with the capsule is the 4 valves. 

 But I find neithfer 3 bracts nor 2 (Gray), nor opposite 

 leaves alone, but mainly verticiUate, and the stylo more 

 like that of fferpesttds. 



The resultt-flnd to be a good specific distinction in 

 Michaux's Flora, but a mingling of the elements of three 

 genera in my books, viz: Gonoiea, Herpestris and Cup- 

 raria (as to the corolla). 



We have examined the specimen sent by Mr. 

 Hill, and also others from Southern Illinois, and 

 find liis remarks as to the characters fully sus- 

 tained. In the dried specimens we have not 

 been able to make out the structure of the cor- 

 rolla. : 



Charles H. Peck, of Albany, N. Y., writes as 

 follows concerning the white fruited form of 

 Strawberry noticed in our last issue : 



Fragaria vesca, with white fruit, grows in Renscllaer 

 county, in this State; A gentleman of my acquaintance 

 transplanted some plants to his garden, placing both 

 red and white fruiting varieties in the same bed. They 

 have exhibited no apparent tendency to mix, or form 

 intermediate varieties; but under cultivation they pre- 

 sent a peculiar appearance. The flt>\'KfBing stem be- 

 comes dichotomously branched abo\e, the branches 

 gi-owing quite long, and the primary ones being sub- 

 tended by a well developed leaf. The fruit is produced 

 throughout the season, so that these plants become an 

 "Everbearin g Strawberry." 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Plants tK^fia-mc—Mus Mary K Murtfdit, KirTc- 

 wood, ^l/o.-^^f|P^^ Astragalus Mexicanus; No. 2, Coreop- 

 sis aristosa; 'Soi^Oommelytia Virginica; No. 5, Lespeieza 

 molacea; No. 6, Eypericum Drummordii ; No. 7, Aster 

 Novae, Anglim; No. 8, Poa compressa; No. 9, Panicum 

 dichotomum; No. 10, Mollugo verticillata; No. 11, Ko/leria 

 eristata; No. 12, Ti-kuspis purpurea ; No. 14, Eleocharis 

 tenuis; No. 15, PycnaTithemum linifolium; No. 10, Acaly- 

 pha Virginica; No. 17, Aster miser; No. IS, Aster tenui- 

 f alius; No. 19, Ctphalanihus occidentalis ; No. 20, Mid- 

 gedium acuminatum; No. 21, Lactuca Canadensis . 



H. U. Mapes, Kalamazoo, Mic7i.—No. 1 is the Climb- 

 ing Bittersweet (Oelastrus scandens, L.); No. 2, Ginseng 

 {Aralia quinguefolia, L.); No. 3, Penthorum sedoides, L.; 

 No. 4, Bypaicum coryrribosum, Muhl.; No. 6, WUlow 

 Herb {EpiloMum angustifolium, L.); No. 6, Aster 

 dumosus, L. 



