303 Synonymy of some North Amei^ican OrchidacetB. 



of Mr. Brown and Mr. Bennett, I may state that a minute exami- 

 nation of the specimen on which this species is founded, proves it 

 to be identical with the well known Hahenaria herhiola. It is 

 a somewhat loosely flowered form, with the stem rather naked 

 above, exactly similar to those we often receive from the Southern 

 Slates, as well as from Pennsylvania. The description of Clay- 

 ton is so far correct, that it is probable the pale or greenish-yellow 

 flowers alone have prevented all succeeding botanists from sus- 

 pecting it to be the Linnasan plant. The specific name is cer- 

 tainly not happily chosen for a plant of which Clayton observes, 

 " floribus obsolete luteis," but it must nevertheless be retained. 

 The remarkable tooth or process on the upper side of the lip 

 near the base, by which the plant is so well distinguished, is also 

 unnoticed. I find the same species among the plants of Pursh, 

 in Mr. Lambert's herbarium, under the name of O. fuscescens. 

 This last species was established upon a figure and description of 

 Gmelin's Flora Sibirica, which accord so well with the American 

 plant, that, in the absence of specimens, I am unable to pronounce 

 them distinct. The lip has the same lateral teeth, but, instead of 

 the projecting process, Gmelin describes the posterior portion as 

 "incymbam fere excavata." The inspection of Willdenow's 

 herbarium enables me to add as a synonym the O. vh^escens of 

 that author; of whose character: " cornu obtusum scrotiforme 

 brevissimum," it should be remarked that it is totally at variance 

 with his own soHtary specimen received from Muhlenberg, under 

 this name. The latter, in his unpublished i^/ora Lavcastriensis, 

 thus describes the lip and spur: — " Labio nectarii oblongo emar- 

 ginato indiviso et subtrilobo, vel basi utrinque dentate ; cornu 

 setaceum germine brevius, acutum." The synonymy of this 

 species, so far as already ascertained, may stand as follows. 



Habenaria (Platanthera) flava. 



Orchis flava, Linn. ! spec. ed. 1. p. 942, et ed. 2., excl. syn. 

 Moris, hist., non Nutt. 



Orchis radice palmata ; floribus obsolete luteis, &c. «fcc. Clayt, ! 

 no. 639. 



Orchis radicibus palmatis : nectarii labio trifido, integerrimo, 

 &c. Gronov.! fi. Yirg. ed. 2. p. 1H7. 



Orchis virescens, Muhl. jl. Lancast. ined., et in Willd. 1 spec. 

 4. p. 37. (descr. pess.) 



