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1904] BRIEFER ARTICLES 141 
been calling A. alba and A. verticillata. It would seem best to dispose of this 
conflict by admitting that Linnaeus committed an error of determination in 
identifying the Swedish plant with the form common in southern Europe. 
In this connection it is interesting to note that Linnaeus has little to 
say about A. alba in the Species Plantarum. The description is: 
g. Agrostis panicula laxa, calycibus muticis aequalibus. Roy. lugdb. 59. 
Habitat in Europae nemoribus. . 
Royen adds as a synonym ‘‘Gramen nemorosum, paniculis albis. Vaill. 
par. Tab. 17. f. 5. opt.” 
The figure in Vaillant, however, is not an Agrostis, but apparently a 
species of Poa. 
There are several sheets of A. alba in the Linnaean herbarium, one of 
which is marked in his own handwriting and is the common form of what 
has been so called. 
3. Description.—The part relating to the divaricate panicle refers better 
to A. alba, especially the variety vulgaris, but the part relating to the creep- 
ing culm and the eaual calyx refers better to A. verticillata. 
Taking everything into consideration, it appears that Linnaeus confused 
two species, but we are justified in taking the specimen in the Linnaean 
herbarium as the type of A grostis stolonijera L.=A. verticillata Vill. 
The identity of the Linnaean specimen has been pointed out by earlier 
authors, e. g., Parlatore Fl. Ital. 1: 180. 
AGROSTIS RUBRA L. 
The description given in the Species Plantarum {p. 62) is: 
rubra. 4. Agrostis paniculae parte florente patentissima, petalo exteriore glabro 
terminato arista tortili recurv. . suec. 60. Dalib. paris. 24. 
Agrostis panicula inferiore veatisiiatte laxa; superiore contracta. Fi. 
lapp. 46. 
Gramen serotinum arvense, panicula contracta pyramidali. Scheuch. 
gram. 1 
Habitat in Europae arenosis subhumidis. 
- Specimens.—In the Linnaean herbarium there is one sheet marked 
by tus but the plant is a panicle of what appears to be S porob- 
olus junceus of our southern states. As this does not accord with the 
description or citations, it may be withdrawn from consideration, as there 
is selec an error somewhere. 
2. Synonymy.—In the Flora Suecica the three citations appear as ah 
in the Species Plantarum, and in the same order, but “ Dalib. paris. 24” 
is omitted, as this is a subsequent work (1747). There is added, however: 
