1897 | HYVPOXIS ERECTA LINN. 115 
by previous authors do not differ in any respect so as to leave a 
doubt concerning the true relationship of our plant. They all 
agree in naming it Ornithogalum, even Gronovius, who undoubt- 
edly was in possession of specimens from Clayton, who had col- 
lected the plant in Virginia. 
If we compare the various quotations given above by Lin- 
nzus, we will obtain a good idea as to how much knowledge the 
old authors possessed of the genus Ornithogalum. The two 
species enumerated by Linnzus as nos. I and 2 were transferred 
later by Salisbury to his new genus Gagea (p. 553),’ since these 
showed a very marked difference from the true species of Ornitho- 
galum. We even notice that Reneaulme (pp. 91 and g2) did not 
consider these two species as belonging to Ornithogalum, since 
he gave them the generic names Pyrrhochiton and Hypoxis, the 
‘first of these containing O. luteum, the second O. minimum. The 
quotation “ Pet. gaz. I.t. I. f 3” should have been f 77, since f. 
3 represents a Chiton, and f z7 on the same plate represents our 
fypoxis erecta. The description’ reads as follows : “‘ Ornithoga- 
Jum Nirginianum luteum, foliis gramineis hirsutis nobis.” ‘Its 
hairy grasslike leaves distinguish it,” and the plant is said to be 
““common in Carolina, Maryland and Virginia.” 
Petiver, from whom these quotations are taken, quotes again 
Ray, who evidently was the first author to publish a description 
of our Hypoxis as “Ornithogalum \uteum parvum foliis gramineis 
hirsutis.”. This description (2: 1928) was not given, however, 
by Ray himself, but by Banister, who had sent a catalogue to 
Ray, wherein he enumerated and described such plants as he had 
observed in Virginia. 
Another old citation is that of Plukenet (Alm. bot. mantissa, 
272), who like Petiver figures the plant. Comparing these two 
figures with each other (g/. X/), it is evident that they were 
both intended to represent Hypoxis erecta, but the principal char- 
: acters, inferior ovary and short stamens, have not been figured 
_? The references are to books enumerated under * Bibliography ~ at the end of this 
paper. : 
* PETIVER: Decas prima 3:7. s, fig. 17. 
