384 



ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



least a marked variety of D. meadia, if not a new 

 species. 



Various species of Desinodimn grow here in the 

 woods and fields, several of which are worthy of 

 notice. In one place I found a specimen of Des- 

 inodium nudiflorum having two scapes, one nalved 

 the other bearing about midway a tuft of leaflets. 

 The shape of the leaflets and other characters were 

 decidedly D. nudiflorum. 



Near Cobden I found a specimen of Desmodium 

 ■paucifloi-um with the scape coming out at the base 

 of the plant, as in D. nudiflorum, but having a tuft of 

 leaflets at about the middle. In this plant the shape 

 of the leaves was that of D. pauciflorum.. 1 also found 

 several specimens that seem to combine the habits 

 of D. pauciflorum and D. acuminatum. Tliey were 

 not more than ten or twelve inches high, and about 

 midway had a node of leaves from which rose a 

 short scape, or flower-stalk, bearing a few flowers 

 of the color and size of those of D. pauciflorum. The 

 leaves were very much pointed, lilse those of Z>. 

 acuminatum. Do these peculiarities show a hybrid- 

 ization in these species, or are they variable forms 

 of one species ? 



Prof. E. J. Hill, of Kankakee, 111., communi- 

 cates notes and specimens of a few interesting 

 plants, from which we give the foUowiiig ex- 

 tracts : 



I inclose a specimen oiJuncus ffreenii. In some speci- 

 mens the involucral leaf is 6 inches long. The pods are 

 longer than the sepals, and blunt. It has one or two 

 Involute thread-form leaves at the base; The cymes are 

 large, making a heavy head; and the plant stands up 

 rigidly, growing from IS inches to 2}^ feet high. Its 

 locality is the prairie north of the Kankakee river, and 

 it was quite abundant. There was considerable sand 

 iu the soil. I find in the same soil Scleria triglomerata, 

 Michx., and a Finibristylis which I take to be F. spadicea, 

 Vahl. 



I mentioned to you BTiynoliospora cymosa, Nutt. After 

 a thorough reiSxamination, I can make nothing else of 

 my specimens. The leaves are linear, flat and keeled . 

 The culm is leafy, triangular, smooth, 10 to 20 inches 

 high, with terminal and axiUary cymes. I found it in 

 the sandy barrens west of here, growing in the edge of 

 sloughs. The Fimhristylu grew in the same locality. 



I spoke to ; ou of a tall Hemicmplia suhsguarrosa. By 

 actual measurement I find the tallest 8i inches high. 

 It was probably due to the fact that they grew in the 

 shade, in the midst pf a dense growth of Eragrostis rep- 

 tans, and various /taller weeds, on a low inundated 

 island of the rivr; the richness of the soil and the 

 struggle for sunUght stretched them out. 



I inclose a specimen of Canobea muUifida, Beuth., 

 about which there seems to be some discrepancies of 

 description. Dr. Gray says: "Upper lip of the corolla 

 3-lobed, the lower 3-parted. Style 2-lohed at the apex, 

 the lobes wedge-form. Leaves opposite. Flowers small, 

 solitary, on axillary 2-bractleted peduncles." 



It is described by Michaux (Plor. Bor. Am.) as Gap- 

 raria muUifida. He says: "CoroUa campanulate, 5- 



parted, acute. Capsule 2-valved, 2-celled, many-seeded. 

 Leaves ternately verticiUate, many-parted; pedicels 

 solitary." 



Sprengel (Syst. Veg.), under Oapraria, describes the 

 capsule as 2-ceUed, valves 2-cleft. Under Berpestris he 

 says: "Capsule 2-ceUed, 2-valved, valves 2-parted." 

 The last is the case with this plant, the valves being 

 finaUy 2-parted. Sprengel characterizes Gondbea thus: 

 "Calyx tubulous, S-dentate, 3 bracts at the base; cor- 

 oUa 2-lipped, upper Up emarginate, lower lip 3-lohed; 

 capsule 4^valved, etc." 



By stretching a point the 2-hpped corolla can he made 

 out, and the final result with the capsule is the 4 valves. 

 But I find neither 3 bracts nor 2 (Gray), nor opposite 

 leaves alone, hut mainly verticfllate, and the style more 

 Uke that of Berpedris. 



The result I find to be a good specific distinction in 

 Michaux's Flora, but a mingling of the elements of three 

 genera in my books, viz : Conolea, Eerpestris and Cfep- 

 raria (as to the coroUa). 



We have examined the specimen sent by Mr. 

 Hill, and also others from Southern Illinois, and 

 find his remarks as to the characters fully sus- 

 tained. Iu the dried specimens we have not 

 been able to make out the structure of the cor- 

 rolla. 



Charles H. Peck, of Albany, N. Y., writes as 

 follows concerning the white fruited form of 

 Strawberry noticed in our last issue : 



Fraganavesca, with wliite fruit, grows in Kensellaer 

 county, in this State. A gentleman of my acquaintance 

 transplanted some plants to his garden, placing both 

 red and white fruiting varieties in the same bed. They 

 have exhibited no apparent tendency to mix, or form 

 intermediate varieties; but under cultivation they pre- 

 sent a peculiar appearance. The flowering stem be- 

 comes dichotomously branched above, the branches 

 growing quite long, and the primary ones being sub- 

 tended by a well developed leaf. The fruit is produced 

 throughout the season, so that these plants become an 

 "Everbearing Strawberry." 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Plants to Jfame.^ — Miss Mary M. 

 wood, Mo. — No. 1 is Astragalus Mexicanus; No. 2, Coreop- 

 sis aristosa; No. 4, Oommelyna Virginica; No. 5, Zespedesa 

 molacea; No. 6, Hypericum Drammordii; No. 7, Aster 

 Novm Anglim; No. 8, Poa compressa; No. 9, Funiemn 

 dichotomum; No. 10, Mollugo veHicillata; No. 11, Koderia 

 eristata; No. 12, Tricuspis purpurea; No. 14, EleochoA'is 

 tenuis; No. 15, Fycnuiith.emum linifolium; No. 16, Acaly- 

 pha Virginica; No. IT, Aster miser; No. 18, Aster tenui- 

 foUus; No. 19, Cciplialanthvs occidentalis ; No. 20, Mul- 

 gediium ammirmtum; No. 21, Lactuca Canadensis. 



E. H. Mapes, Kalamazoo, jM«cA.— No. 1 is the Climb- 

 ing Bittersweet {Celastrus scandens, L.); No. 2, Ginseng 

 (Aralia giiingue/oliu, L.); No. 3, Penthomm sedoides,!:-, 

 No. 4, Hypericum corymlosum, Muhl.; No. 5, WUlow 

 Herb (EpiloUum angustifoliwin, L.); No, 6, Aster 

 L. 



t. 



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