96 



have generally been sent mixed together, which, when sown, the 

 plants have risen promiscuously. So that in order to ascertain 

 the species, the seeds should be saved very carefully and dis- 

 tinctly sown, to see if the plants arising from each do retain 

 their difference." 



Miller Abridgement Gardeners Dictionary Solidago ed. 5 

 1763; ed. 6 1771. 



As a result he seems to have named several of our common 

 species several times, examples being the various names pro- 

 posed by him for Solidago altissima L. and Solidago semper- 

 virens L. and the instance hereinafter discussed. In dealing 

 with his work it must also be remembered that he was primarily 

 a horticulturist and not a botanist. Another source of trouble 

 with him is that the species treated in the Abridgement of the 

 Gardeners Dictionary are to a certain extent not found in the 

 Gardeners Dictionary and vice versa. And another most exas- 

 perating source of trouble is that in the sixth edition of the 

 Abridgement he copied the concluding remarks for his last 

 seven species erroneously from the fifth edition, getting in the 

 wrong concluding remarks for each one of these species. One 

 therefore has to refer to the fifth edition of the Abridgement or 

 to the eighth edition of the Gardeners Dictionary to find out 

 what he really meant. Two of his names which here appeared 

 (Solidago linearia and Solidago ohtusifolia) are names which 

 have been overlooked by botanists and which do not appear 

 in Index Kewensis. The present paper is devoted to ascertain- 

 ing their proper use, as also the proper use of Solidago petiolata 

 Miller. 



Solidago petiolata Miller 



In the seventh edition of his Gardeners Dictionary pub- 

 Hshed in 1759 Miller had the following golden-rod : 



"31. Solidago caide paniculato, racemis confertis, foliis 

 inferioribus lineari lanceolatis petiolatis, caulinis sessilibus gla- 

 bris. Woundwort with a paniculated Stalk, clustered Spikes of 

 Flowers, the lower Leaves linear. Spear-shaped on Foot Stalks, 

 and those on the Stalks smooth, fitting close The thirty- 

 first sort grows naturally at Philadelphia ; the lower Leaves are 

 smooth, entire, narrow, and Spear-shaped; they are three Inches 

 and a Half long, and Half an Inch broad, standing upon long 

 Foot Stalks. The Stalks are round, smooth, and rise three 



