AMERICAN" GRASSES DESCRIBED BY LINNAEUS. 123 



A Avena pensylvanica L. Sp. PI. 79. 1753. 



The type specimen, marked "3 K pensylvanica," is Trisetum pennsylvanicum (L.) 

 Beauv. 



Avena spicata L. Sp. PI. 80. 1753. 



The specimen is marked " K 10 bromoides." The word bromoides has been scratched 

 out with pencil. Since the plant is Danthonia spicata (L.) Beauv. and answers to the 

 description of his Avena no. 10, A. spicata, we may assume that this is the type and 

 that there was some error in marking the name bromoides on the sheet. Linnaeus 

 later describes an Avena bromoides from Europe, a different species. 



Arundo phragmites L. Sp. PI. 81. 1753. 



This is based on European material, but there is a reference to Gronovius. In the 

 first edition of Gronovius the number of Clayton's specimen is given as 481. In the 

 second edition the number is 581. Clayton's specimen is numbered 581. It is 

 Phragmites phragmites (Li) Karst. (P. communis Trim). 



Aristida americana L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 2: 879. 1759. 

 The type specimen, from "Br," is Bouteloua americana (L.) Scribn. (B. litigiosa 



Lag.). 



Elymus canadensis L. Sp. PI. 83. 1753. 



The type specimen is not the form described as E. canadensis in recent manuals, 

 but is the allied glaucous form which has been distinguished as E. glaucifolius Muhl. 

 For a discussion of this specimen see note below under E. philadelphicus. 



Elymus philadelphicus L. Amoen. Acad. 4: 266. 1759. 



One sheet is marked by Linnaeus "philadelphicus 3" and "HIT." Under the 

 latter appears to be the word "Canada." The figure 3 appears to be crossed out. 

 This is the glaucous form called E. glaucifolius Muhl. It has a large, pendulous 

 spike, with diverging awns, and blades 1.5 to 2 cm. broad. This is apparently the 

 specimen Linnaeus describes under E. canadensis, which is Elymus no. 3. The 

 diagnosis reads "spica flaccida-pendula." A second sheet has a specimen of the same 

 species, but with erect spike and ascending awns. Linnaeus has not written upon 

 this, but there is a transcription of the diagnosis of E. canadensis and also "Elymus 

 canadensis, Spec. 3. p. 83," and, "ex seminibus canadensis in hortulo meo [then an 

 illegible word] 1753" followed by "Leche" in pencil. Leche was professor at Abo. 

 At the Stockholm herbarium there are also two sheets, one marked "Elymus phila- 

 delphicus" by Solander and the other "3" by Linnaeus and "3 canadensis" by the 

 younger Linnaeus. Both are E. glaucifolius, but the second is less glaucous, the 

 spike not quite so stout, the awns more ascending. The two specimens correspond 

 very well to the two in the Linnaean herbarium at London, except that the one marked 

 "philadelphicus" at the former place is erect and at the latter place is nodding. It 

 will be noted that in the description of E. philadelphicus it is distinguished from E. 

 canadensis by having a nodding spike and more flexuous awns. While it seems clear 

 that at the time of describing E. philadelphicus Linnaeus wished to apply this name to 

 the nodding form and the name E. canadensis to the erect form, yet we are left in doubt 

 as to the types of the two. The figure 3 on the specimen in the Stockholm herbarium 

 with erect spike and ascending awns, and marked "canadensis" by Linnaeus fil., is 

 said by Lindman « to have been written by the elder Linnaeus. The latter has not 

 marked any specimen with the name canadensis. I suspect that the history of the 

 specimen is about as follows: Both forms were growing in the Hortus Upsalensis. 

 Linnaeus described E. canadensis from the nodding form, and marked the specimen in 

 his herbarium "3." Later he distinguished between the two forms in his garden and 



oArkiv. Bot. 7:45. 1907. 



7S- 



