43 



production. In other words, nature, here, is economizing effort 

 and following the line of least resistance. This accords with the 

 fact that prostrate and low climbing branches do not bloom and 

 that fruit and flowers are found only in positions where the op- 

 portunity for vegetative multiplication is restricted or wanting. 

 In fact, the most remarkable crop of both fruit and flowers that 

 I remember ever to have seen, was on a vine climbing over a 

 wire fence between a cotton field and a potato patch, where the 

 farmers were giving it such a hard fight that it had no chance 

 to spread over the ground and was obliged to find some other 



outlet for its vital energy. 

 Rome, Georgia 



VARIATIONS IX THE FLOWERS OF ERYTHROXIUM 

 PROPULLANS GRAY 



By C. O. Rosexdahl 



Several species of the genus Erythronium are characterized by 

 certain structural peculiarities of the flowers chief of which is 

 the marked heteromorphism of the stamens. This has been dem- 

 onstrated in two of our common eastern species, E. alhidum and 

 E. americaniim by Meads* and Graff f and in a number of west- 

 ern and mid-western species by Pickett. t Among those studied 

 by Pickett is E. propullans, a somewhat peculiar species which, 

 so far as definitely known, is limited in its distribution to a small 

 geographical area of southeastern Minnesota. In this restricted 

 area it has been found only in a few places in the valleys of the 

 Cannon and the Zumbro rivers, where it grows on wooded, allu- 

 vial bottomlands. 



As a result of the very limited distribution of the species there 

 are comparatively few specimens of E. propullans in the herbaria 

 of the country and Pickett states that his observations on it were 



* Meads, M. E. The Range of Variation in Species of Erythronium. Botanical 

 Gazette i8: 134-138. 1893. 



t Graff, Paul W. The Stamens in Erylhronium Americatiitm. Torreya 16: 

 180-182. 1916. 



J Pickett, F. L. The length of Erylhronium Stamens. Torreya 17: 58-60. 

 1917. 



