21 
ing into the same lake, New York. It is the plant described by 
Tuckerman in Am. Jour. Sci. and Arts, l. c., under the name of 
“Р, fluitans, Roth." 
I have hesitated much in regard to the naming of this species, 
but in the present confused state of opinion concerning the status 
of P. fuitans, Roth, I can see no other method of disposing of it 
except to retain Tuckerman's name /onchites as the type and to 
regard the New York form as a variety. I havea large set of the 
English plants from Mr. Fryer, named by him “P. fluitans, Roth,” 
and our typical form agrees very well with these, but as Mr. Fryer 
states that the English plant is never known to fruit, and he has 
reason to regard it as a hybrid, we cannot accept it as our /on- 
chites, for that is most certainly not a hybrid, as it fruits abundantly 
and occurs in widely separated localities, and often where neither 
of the'supposed parents are found. I have also numerous speci- 
mens of the continental plant called by many authors Р. ffuitazs, 
Roth. Our variety Noweboracensis corresponds very closely to 
specimens sent me by Dr. Tiselius, collected in the river Neckar, 
the fruit being almost identical with that of our species, and if I 
could be sure that his plant is the true Auitans, my hesitation 
would be at an end, but that is in dispute. The late Prof. Caspary 
favored me with beautiful specimens collected in Russia, identical 
with those of Dr. Tiselius, and labelled “Р. fuitans, Roth," show- 
ing the opinion of this celebrated botanist. To throw doubt upon 
the determination, however, there come from France plants bear- 
ing the same kind of foliage as these, but with a totally dissimilar 
fruit, and still called “Р. шал, Roth." Considering the fact that 
Roth only describes the foliage of his plant, apparently never hav- 
ing seen the fruit, that no authentic species of his naming has 
ever been discovered, and that various European authors differ so 
widely, there is no other course left but the one here adopted. 
Of one thing I am certain, the plants from Dr. Tiselius and Prof. 
Caspary are our New York species, and that is but a larger form 
of our lonchites. I have little doubt, also, that the species the fruit 
of which is figured and described by Cham. and Schlecht. under 
the name of P. Americanus is our plant. 
Widely diffused in this country. New Brunswick and Ontario 
(Macoun). New England to Florida and Texas and westward to 
