16 Contributions from the Gray Herbarium 
our material by Coulter (presumably duplicates of the type) the 
full grown calyx is much longer than called for in the original 
description. An immature specimen from the Yosemite by Clara 
E. Cummings apparently belongs to this species. 
rh 23. A. EcHINATA Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. x. 54 (1875). — 
CaiForniA: Fort Mojave, Seb, 1860-61, Cooper; Maricopa, 
Kern Co., March, 1881, Parry, no. "207., 
This is a remarkable species and vases very local. Other 
specimens referred to it which I have seen belong to A. Dougla- - 
siana which may have nutlets with a serrated carination but are 
never truly echinate. 
Il. FURTHER NOTES ON THE BORAGINACEAE 
Cordia Brittonii (Millspaugh), comb. nov. Varronia Brittonii 
Millspaugh, Field Col. Mus. Bot. ser. ii. “311 (1909). 
I am unable to see that any good purpose will be served by 
raising the section Varronia to generic rank. Consistency will then 
demand the recognition of other subgeneric groups as genera thus 
splitting the reasonable entity long known as Cordia into a number 
of parts that will challenge sharp definition. If the technical char- 
acters upon which Varronia, for instance, is based, coincided with 
distinctive traits of aspect its recognition as a genus would appear 
to be more reasonable. But in Cordia there is no agreement of this 
nature between aspect and diagnostic characters so that plants 
possessing great superficial resemblances, as for instance many 
species with capitate inflorescences, for reasons purely technical oc- 
cur in different sections of the genus. But logically these plants are 
all Cordias and are recognizable as such by the amateur, so why 
exaggerate the importance of the more or less obscure technical 
characters by calling some members of the group Varronias, others 
Sebestens, etc. to the utter confusion of all but the professional T 
Surely the average traveler can learn to recognize a shrub of this 
alliance as a Cordia when he may be unable to assign it to a section 
which has been set up as a genus. 
Cordia imparilis, spec. nov., fruticosa erecta aromatica; ramis 
tres = eal aia rufo-hirsutis (pilis cirea 2 mm. lo oom 
