138 Muhlenbergia, Volume 7 



^' Malvastrum Munroanum (Dongl.) Gray. Botanists to- 

 day are generally classifying this plant as a Sphaeralcea; but I 

 am still, after much thought, reluctant to consider this species, 

 M. coccineum and their nearest relatives, as anything but con- 

 generic. I have examined plants about Logan, Utah, and may 

 say that most of them are strictly i-seeded, only a very few 

 showing evidence of the empty terminal cell, a few also being 

 2-seeded — small basis, it seems to me, for placing such closely 

 related plants as these in two different genera. To follow Wat- 

 son (2), and call the i-seeded specimens M. Muui^oanum and 

 the few 2-seeded ones Sphaeralcea Emoryi is also quite unsatis- 

 factory. That Watson, however, was not altogether satisfied 

 with such an arrangement, is shown by his record. In com- 

 menting on .5. Emoryi he says: "It is so frequently the case that 

 the carpels are i-seeded, without trace of the other ovule, that it 

 is sometimes difficult to distinguish this species from the last 

 \M. Munroamint]. It may indeed be doubted that they are 

 not one." Rothrock (3), under M. Munroanum^ refers to Wat- 

 son's discussion, quoted in part above, and under 6*. Emoryi he 

 adds: "In Benth. and Hook. Genera Plantarum, we find Malvas- 

 trum and Sphaeralcea in different sub-tribes, and separated by 

 eleven interpolated genera, yet . . it may well be doubted 

 as to whether the genera should not (in part at least) be thrown 

 together." 



The placing of M. Munroanum in Sphaeralcea may seem 

 wholly justified, in consideration of its close relationship to S. 

 Emoryi^ but such treatment separates it generically from M. coc- 

 cinneum^ a separation that I cannot accept without protest. 



References 

 (1) Torrey and Gray, Pac. R. R. Rep. 2: 119. 1855. 

 (3) Watson, S., Bot. King Exp. 47-48. 187 1. 



(3) Rothrock, J. T., Bot. Wheeler Exp. 74, 76. 1878. 



(4) Jones, M. E., Cont. West. Bot. 9: 48-49. 1900. 



(5) Heller, A. A., Muhlenbergia 6: 41. 1910. 



(6) Garrett, A. O., Spring Fl. Wasatch Reg. 60. 1911. 

 Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. 



