134 Muhlenbergia, Volume 5 



The genus has been considered a difficult one, but as a 

 whole there is much less individual variation than in some other 

 genera. The trouble has been here as elsewhere, that descrip- 

 tions are imperfect, some of the most important characters being 

 left out, and the descriptions are not uniform, even by the same 

 author, so that it is impossible to compare the parts of one 

 species with the same parts of another species. 



Even when the descriptions are fairly good and complete, 

 there has been a most unaccountable jumbling of totally differ- 

 ent things under one name. L. brevicaulis, for instance, is a 

 species that has been much misunderstood. Watson himself 

 apparently confused several distinct species, but his description 

 and the illustration of the floral parts clearly point to one well 

 marked form. One finds all sorts of things under this name, 

 from the nearly glabrous large violet flowered L. odoratus with 

 well developed green calyx lobes and rather fleshy leaves, to L. 

 malacophylhis with verticillate large white flowers and copious 

 soft pubescence. There is absolutely no excuse for such laxity, 

 except that we get into the habit of naming things by compar- 

 ing them with other specimens which may or may not be rightly 

 determined, instead of going to the original. 



During the course of these studies I shall endeavor to see 

 the types of all the species. The descriptions will be made uni- 

 form, and the floral parts at least of each species will be illus- 

 trated. The shape of the banner in the living plant is usually 

 very characteristic, but as that organ is difficult to draw, espe- 

 cially in those species that have the edges turned back and the 

 face strongly grooved, no attempt will be made to figure it in 

 most cases. 



The genus is of considerable economic importance on ac- 

 count of its value as a forage plant for all kinds of animals, but 

 the seeds are known to be poisonous to stock. Very little has 

 been done in the way of studying this poison and its properties 

 in connection with our American species; whether it is equally 

 present in all species or only in certain ones to any extent. 

 1'.' tore tlie study of the genus is completed I hope to be able 

 to make some definite statement on this point. 



