NOTES ON NEW AND OLD GENERA 1 77 



Despeleza leptostachya (Engelm.) Nwd. 



Lespedeza leptostachya Engelm. A. Gray. Proc. x\m. Acad. 

 XI., p. 57, (1876). 



Hypogon kaf. 



In proposing the name Micheliella Briquet,'' the author 

 must have overlooked the fact that just exactly eighty years before, 

 Rafinesque had separated these plants as typical of his genus 

 Hypogon f" Micheliella as a diminutive of a previously existing 

 plant name is not a very desirable name at that, and its absence 

 from our nomenclature by reduction to synonymy may be con- 

 sidered beneficial. 



After examining carefully for possible homonymy, or synony- 

 my in case of Rafinesque's name we can not find any reason 

 whatever why Hypogon should not have been taken up lest it 

 be that it was completely overlooked. This, however, is all the 

 more inexcusable inasmuch as the Index Kewensis records Hypogon 

 in two places, though the authors failed to notice one of the new 

 combinations made by Rafinesque. Dr. SmalF in both editions 

 of his Flora of the Southeastern United States accepts Micheliella 

 with the same species exactly as quoted by Briquet and by 

 Rafinesque so long before under Hypogon. 



In other places Rafinesque^ calls attention to the first pub- 

 lication of his genus Hypogon. The exact quotations which are 

 not too long may be here given. 



"119. Collinsonia verticillaris Raf. Caule villoso, foliis subin- 

 tegris, floribus tetrandris paniculatis verticillatis. Raf. C. 

 scabriuscula Rob. p. 390. Grows near woods, stem scarcely two 

 feet, flowers yellowish. The variety of C. scabra found by Mr. Lyons 

 with four stamens and larger flowers. (See the Flora of Pursh) 

 belongs perhaps to this species which together with C. anisata 

 might properly form a subgenus (or a new genus) having four 

 fertile stamina to which the name Hypogon might be given, (p. 41). 



"5. Sp. 119. Collinsonia verticillaris. Its real name must be 

 Hypogon verticillatum Raf. and the C. amisata must be Hypogon 



5 Briquet in Engler and Prantl. Pflanzensyst. IV., III., A. p. 325,(1897). 



6 Rafinesque, C. S. Flora Lyudoviciana p. 41, (1817). 



7 Small, J. K. Fl. S. E. U. S. p. , (1903 and 1913). 



8 Rafinesque, C. S. Am. Monthly. Mag. p. 101, (June 1818). 1. e. 

 also Med. Fl. 2, p. 230, (1830). "Collinsonia anisata belongs to the gen 

 Hypogon of the Florul Eudoviciana having 4 fertile stamens." 



