216 



the short. In this southern station, A. lotiflonis has not been 

 found in three years of collecting. As my plant seeds lavishly 

 here, its scarcity cannot be easily accounted for. The Red 

 Cloud plants have all been heavily affected with Astragalus-rust 

 {Uromyces Astragali^, but the seeds have matured well, at least 

 five hundred on one plant. These southern plants vary in no 

 particular from the original find, except that they average larger, 

 the largest spreading two feet in diameter. 



As the result of these studies, and of the use of the term 

 "species" in modern Hterature, it has seemed best to give the 

 plant specific rank. I am utterly opposed to the subdivision 

 that has characterized Crataegus and some other genera of late. 

 But the more I see of this form, the less it resembles A. lotiflonis. 

 That is very variable. This is invariable. The resemblance lies 

 in size and color of the flower. If I had found it first here, with 

 its plants of noble size and unassociated with A. lotiflonis, I can 

 see that I should not have thought of it as a variety, but as a 

 congener. 



It is accordingly now published as Astragalus nebraskensis 

 Bates. The name seems most appropriate, and the original 

 description holds good in every particular but the size. 



J. M. B.VTES. 

 Rkd Ci.ouij, Nk.hraska. 



A CURIOUS Cactus Fruit. — One day early in August an odd 

 looking "joint" of a prickly pear cactus {Opuntia Engclmaiinii) 

 was observed on a plant not far from the laboratory building. It 

 was somewhat smaller than the other joints of the year ; like them 

 it was spinose, but instead of being green over the whole surface 

 a portion of it was dark-red. Upon closer inspection the red 

 portion was seen to be somewhat thicker than the remainder and 

 bore a flower scar on its tip. A longitudinal section of the joint 

 showed the red part to be fruit with a red fleshy outer portion 

 and many seeds. The following measurements were taken : 

 Length of joint, 8 cm. ; width, 5 cm. ; length of the fruiting 

 portion, 3.4 cm. ; width, 2.5 cm. A normal fruit from a neigh- 

 boring plant of the same sort measured in length 4.5 cm., and in 

 width 3.5 cm. 



