ila ata = 
‘ in length 
1899 | BRIEFER ARTICLES 481 
authentic material, I should be glad to see it.” In the Torrey herba- 
rium at Columbia University there are several specimens from Cam- 
bridge, Mass., and vicinity, but they are all Prunus spinosa. Another 
from the same locality in the National Herbarium is a duplicate of one 
of the Torrey herbarium specimens. As this material dates back 
directly to the time of Dr. Gray, and as it comes from the stations 
Specified by him, it seems hardly doubtful that this was what he had in 
hand when he included Prunus spinosa insititia in the Manual. This 
would make Gray’s name a synonym of P. spinosa Linn. 
Besides the names already mentioned Walter” described a Prunus 
insititia which is referred to P. angustifolia Marsh by Sudworth.” 
The case may be summed up as follows: 
Prunus insititia of Linnzeus and later European authors is mostly 
P.DOMESTICA DAMASCENA Linn., other groups of P. domestica being 
sometimes included. 
Prunus spinosa insititia Gray is P. sprnosa Linn. 
Prunus insititia Walt. is P. aNcustIFOLIA Marsh.—F. A. Waucu, 
University of Vermont, Experiment Station, 
. 
c : AN UNDESCRIBED BIRCH FROM ALASKA. 
Betula Kenaica, n. sp.— Arborescent, 10 to 15 high, often widely. 
Spreading : trunk 0.3 to 0.5" in diameter, bark rough and more or 
less furrowed, on the younger branches dark reddish-gray or brown, 
hot scaly or only slightly so, twigs not resin-dotted: leaves ovate, 
_ acute or acuminate, wedge-shaped at base or somewhat rounded fe 
~ ROE cordate, irregularly and somewhat sharply toothed, the teet 
‘ppearing as if gland-tipped, smooth or nearly so on both surfaces, 
Under side lighter in color; petioles slender, 10 to 20™™ Leanne 
About rs™ jn length, blade 35 to 50” usually about 40™ long ans 36) 
_ Wide: flowering catkins not seen; fruiting catkins 20 to 30 ag 
length, oblong or nearly cylindrical, mostly erect on short peduncles ; 
les 2 to 4™ broad and 5 or oz long, deeply 3-lobed, the lateral 
: lobes Tounded and divergent, the central one considerably longer, 
f minate, sometimes recurved; ciliate or glabrate : dsto2 
__ broad including the wings, which about equal the body, and 2 to 3 
fruit 2 to 2.5™" 
“PI. Carol. 146. 1788. 18 Nom. Arb. Fl. U. S. 237. 1897. 
