4 Muhlenbergia, Volume 7 



As early as 1835, Agardh reports "specimina Californica 

 vidi in Hb. Lindleyi." 



Watson, in Proc. Am. Acad. 8: 525. 1873, records it as 

 occurring from Puget Sound to Southern California." His re- 

 mark "near the last" {nanus), indicates that he had a very vague 

 conception as to the identity of this species, notwithstanding the 

 fact that he had access to the original description and illustra- 

 tion. He also indicates that he had seen a specimen collected 

 by Douglas, but fails to state whether it was from the Columbia 

 river region or from California, an important point, viewed in 

 the light of our present knowledge. 



Greene, Flora Franciscana, 38. 1891, says: "Common every- 

 where; but not at all agreeing with either the figure or descrip- 

 tion in the Botanical Register; and the type was from a very 

 different and quite distant region of our western country, the 

 upper Columbia River." He should have said lower Columbia 

 river. While disagreeing with the Watsonian disposition of the 

 species, he nevertheless adopted it, but significantly placed im- 

 mediately after it his recently described L. polycarpus, with four 

 species between it and namts^ an admirable and fitting arrange- 

 ment, well graded steps in the matter of relationship. 



Last May I collected on the Columbia river just below Hood 

 River, Oregon, a plant which is undoubtedly true micranthus, 

 my no. loioo (figure i). It is abundant in o| en grassy places, 

 and was observed at several places along the railroad between 

 Cascade Locks and Hood River. The leaves are somewhat suc- 

 culent, and while the opening flower heads are rather compact 

 at first, they soon present the lax appearance shown in the orig- 

 inal illustration. Very few seeds were seemed, but sufficient to 

 show that they are "large, brownish gray, mottled." They are 

 3.5 mm. long, 3 mm. wide. 



Having accepted the usual inlerprett.tion of micranthus^ 

 for my studies had not led me to carefully look into the status 

 of this species, \x\\ surjjrise was great when I found nothing in 

 the type region that agreed with my preconceived ideas, but in- 

 stead a plant much resembling the western middle Californian 

 L. polycarpits. That it was no chance immigrant was shown 



