only Xyris mentioned by Walter, and the description gives none 

 of the characters by which the several species are now distin- 

 guished from each other. There is said to be no specimen bear- 

 ing this name in Walter's herbarium, but even if ther-e was it 

 would not validate a totally inadequate description, so the name 

 X. caroliniana Walt, should be dropped entirely, unless we 

 accept the interpretations of Lamarck, Vahl and other authors 

 wIki published between the times of Walter and Elliott. In i860 

 Elliott's Xyris flcxuosa was identified by Dr. Chapman with his 

 own X. platylcpis, and if this identification was correct X. platylepis 

 would become a synonym ; but it was evidently not correct, and 

 Dr. Chapman himself questioned it in the last edition of his 

 Flora, in 1897. 



As for Xyris torta, described by J. E. Smith in the 39th volume 

 of Rees's Cyclopedia in 18 19, Dr. A. B. Rendle showed a few 

 years ago * that that was really the common northern plant 

 known for years as X. flcxuosa ; and on this representation 

 X. torta was relegated to synonymy in Britton's Manual and 

 Small's Flora. Ikit according to the evidence brought out above, 

 both names seem to be valid, though they will have to be inter- 

 changed, as follows : 

 XvKis i-LEXUOSA Muhl.; h:il. Bot. S. C. & Ga. i : 51. 1816. 



/ X. caroliniana WdAt.VX. Car. 69. 1788. (Unrecognizable.) 



" X. torta J.E.Smith" Kunth, Enum. 4 : 14. 1843; and 

 many subsequent authors. 



.V. arciiicola Small, Fl. S. E. U. S. 234. 1903. 



Range : New Jersey to Florida and Texas, in the coastal 

 plain, especially in the pine-barrens. 

 XvKis TORTA J. E. Smith (no. i i), Rees's C}'cl. 18 19. 



X. Imlbosa Kunth, Imuuii. 4 : 11. 1843. 



''• X. flcxuosa Muhl." Chapm., Fl. S. U. S. 500. i860; and 

 all or nearly all subsequent authors. 



Range : Eastern United States and adjacent Canada, chiefly in 

 the glaciated region. 



Other synonyms can be found in the paper by Dr. Rendle 

 mentioned above. Dr. Small, who has given this genus consid- 



* Jour. Hot. 37: 497-499- 1S99. 



