A new Hydrocotyle from Western New York 

 Edith Fetherston 



The word Hydrocotyle is from the Greek, meaning water and 

 cup. Plants of this genus thrive in moist places and the round- 

 ish leaves have a cup-like depression in the middle: they are 

 creeping perennials. 



While exploring in July, 1926, I found an unusual Hydro- 

 cotyle along a small stream in a virgin forest, one mile north of 

 Washington Hunt in Wyoming County, New York, and just a 

 few miles east of Letchworth Park. 



My Hydrocotyle was prostrate, rooting at the nodes. The 

 peduncle was short, about 1 cm. long, the flowers minute. The 

 petioles were slightly hairy and varied from 1 to 9 cm. in length. 

 This was also the height of the plant above the ground. The 

 leaves were peltate and there seemed to be some proliferation 

 of the flowering stalk. The leaf was centrally attached and shin- 

 ing, about 2 cm. across, in appearance like a small umbrella, 

 7 to 9 lobes very slightly indented. 



There were scale-like stipules at the base of the petioles: 

 the flowers were very small, cream colored in umbel-like clusters 

 opposite the leaves; sometimes one umbel appearing above 

 another; calyx-teeth minute; petals entire, concave. The fruit 

 was strongly compressed about 2.5 mm. high and 3 mm. wide, 

 slightly notched or subcordate at both ends, intermediate ribs 

 were quite evident and often slightly corky, the dorsal one was 

 acute. 



In the Summer of 1930 I gave a living plant of the Hydro- 

 cotyle to Mr. M. S. Baxter upon the advice of Professor Guy A. 

 Bailey of the Geneseo Normal School, Geneseo, N. Y. Mr. Bax- 

 ter was unable to identify my Hydrocotyle. At the same time I 

 gave several living specimens to Mrs. W. Austin Wadsworth, 

 Geneseo, Livingston County, N. Y. and in June 1931 in visiting 

 the gardens of Mr. Baxter and Mrs. Wadsworth, I found my 

 Hydrocotyle not only living but increasing in number, and, es- 

 pecially in Mrs. Wadsworth's garden, spreading in quite a re- 

 markable way. 



On September 15th, 1930, I brought all my remaining speci- 

 mens to Pittsburgh and learned from Dr. O E. Jennings, (Pro- 

 fessor of Botany of the University of Pittsburgh and Editor- 



