THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 75 
phylla (Greene)! sufficiently different from the above by its own 
characters as may be seen by consulting his description. As to 
the advisability of applying the name V. eriocarpa (Schwein.) 
to the eastern plant even, we would hardly venture too definite 
a statement as both V. scabriuscula (Schwein.), as that plant was 
formerly known, and V. pubescens may or may not have hairy 
capsules. If the meaning implied in the name is taken as the 
prime character for substituting the name V. ertocarpa (Schwen.) 
for what was formerly known as V. scabriuscula (Schwein.) 
then one could for the above reason seem scarcely justified in 
adopting the change. 
The use of the name V. ertocarpa Schwein., though apparently 
an older name were scarcely perhaps legitimate because it is not 
clear that V. pubescens variety eriocarpon? (Nutt. 1818) is not a 
different plant. If it were a different plant as would seem from 
the context of Nuttall’s description of his plant and Schweinitz’ 
discussion then the latter’s name is a homonym. Thet the plants 
are not the same might be interpreted from the attempt of 
Schweinitz to change the name to V. scabriuscula. ‘The argument 
would be therefore that Nuttall’s plant is really nothing more 
than a hairy fruited variety of V. pubescens. The following 
synonomy would show this interpretation of the matter:— 
Crocion scabriusculum (Schwein.) Kaczmarek. 
V. scabriuscula (Schwein.) T. & G. Fl. N. A. 1 p. 142, (1838). 
V. eriocarpa (Schwein.) Am. Jour. Sci. V. No. 1, p. 75 (1822) 
not V. pubescens variety eriocarpon (Nutt.) Gen. North Am. PI. 
- I. p. 151 (1818). 
It has been decided to examine the plant anatomically as 
well as other plants under the old genus Vzola to ascertain whether 
there are any ecological and anatomical characteristics that would 
distinguish them from one another. 
ECOLOGY OF THE SEEDLING. 
The ovules are anatropous. The seeds of brownish tint 
measure about 1-1.5 mm. in width and 2-2.5 mm. in length and 
contain endosperm. In germination the root first emerges from 
the seed and then the hypocotyl begins to elongate with the result 
that the epigeal cotyledons, sooner or later, appear above the 
™ Greene, E. L., Pittonia, 5, p. 87 (1902). 
2 Nutt. Gen. Horth Am. Pl. 1, p. 150 (1818). 
