438 



MINNESOTA BOTANICAL STUDIES 



emarginate. almost ^ inch long, 2-3 times as long as the calyx. 

 Carpels 12-15, finely pubescent, smooth (not wrinkled), with 

 rounded edges." 



He gives the following description of M. borcalis Wallm. : 

 "Stems 5^-2 feet long, prostrate or ascending, leaves reniform-or- 

 bicular, 5-7-lobed with rounded lobes or obscurely digitate. Pedicels 

 after blooming reflexed, in clusters in axils of the leaves. Involu- 

 cral leaves linear about as long as the broadly ovate, at last net- 

 veined, ciliate-margined calyx-lobes. Petals small, white, emargin- 

 ate, of the same length as the calyx. Carpels 10, reticulate, with 

 sharp edges, somewhat hairy. Plant with spreading hairs." 



A good brief characterization of M. rotiindifolia L., and M. 

 parri flora L., with figures, is to be found in Bonnier and Layens, 

 Flore Complete de la France et de la Suisse, page 55. 



Ledebour, in Flora Rossi ca, 1 : 345, gives all three species with 

 very good descriptions and synonymy. The following table shows 

 the differences between the three species. 



Pubes- 

 cence 



Stellate, often dense or 

 plant sometimes glab- 

 rate. 



Simple or branched rare- 

 ly stellate, usually 

 spreading. 



Stellate, often dense or 

 plant becoming glab- 

 rate. 



Calyx 



Enclosing the fruit, 

 never spreading; se- 

 pals lance-ovate, acu- 

 minate, stellate pubes- 

 cent, often densely so, 

 not ciliate on the 

 margins or only slight- 

 ly. 



Ascending or enclosing 

 the fruit, usually not 

 conspicuously veiny; 

 sepals lance-ovate, acu- 

 minate, the margins 

 long ciliate, glabrous 

 or pubescent with 

 simple or sometimes 

 branched spreading 

 hairs. 



LTsually widely spread- 

 ing, very veiny; se- 

 pals broadly ovate, 

 acute, the margins 

 not ciliate, usually- 

 stellate pubescent, of- 

 ten densely so. 



Petals 



3-4 times the length of 

 the sepals. 



As long as or slightly 

 longer than the sepals. 



One and one-half to 

 twice the length of 

 the sepals. 



Carpels 



12-15; backs pubescent I 8-11 (usually 10); backs 



with short hairs, usu- 

 ally densely so, not 

 at all or very faintly 

 reticulated; margins 

 rounded. 



conspicuously reticu- 

 lated, pubescence 

 scant or none; mar- 

 gins angled and some- 

 times slightly toothed. 



8-11 (usually 10); the 

 backs strongly trans- 

 versely ridged and re- 

 ticulated, somewhat 

 pubescent, never 

 I densely so; margins 

 I sharply angled and 

 often toothed. 



