T. Holm — Chionophila Benth. 31 



Art III. — Chionophila Benth. A Morphological Study: 

 by Theo. Holm. (With 15 figures, drawn from nature 

 by the author.) 



The genus Chionophila Benth. is a member of the tribe 

 Cheloneae, and its nearest allies in North America are 

 Chelone and Pentstemon; as distinguishing characters 

 Gray, Bentham and Hooker consider the structure of the 

 calyx, corolla and fruit as the most important. The calyx 

 being funnelform, obtusely five-lobed in Chionophila, 

 deeply five-parted in the two other genera; the corolla 

 being densely bearded at the base of the lower lip in Chio- 

 nophila, while in Pentstemon this structure recurs only in 

 certain species : P. barbatus Nutt., P. laevigatus Soland., 

 P. pubescens Soland., and a few others ; moreover the cap- 

 sule being septicidally dehiscent in Chelone and Pentste- 

 mon, but at first loculicidal in Chionophila ; in the last of 

 these the capsule is enclosed in the marcescent calyx and 

 corolla, while it is free in the others ; also the seeds are 

 different, being rather large, oblong, with a very loose, 

 reticulated outer coat in Chionophila, winged in Chelone, 

 and angulated, but marginless in Pentstemon. Very lit- 

 tle, however, is said about the habit of Chionophila: 

 Herba perennis, humilis, caespitosa, glabra is the charac- 

 terization'otfered by Bentham and Hooker ; a dwarf per- 

 ennial, glabrous or nearly so is all, that Gray has to say. 



At the time of Bentham and Gray the genus was sup- 

 posed to be monotypic, but since then a second species has 

 been proposed by Professor L. F. Henderson^ C. Tweedyi, 

 by Canby and Eose referred to Pentstemon, P. Tweedyi. 

 However this second species differs from C. Jamesii 

 Benth. according to Professor Henderson, by the corolla 

 being quite saccate at base dorsally, thus causing the 

 corolla to be turned aside at quite a strong angle with the 

 axis of the inflorescence, beside by the calyx being short 

 and more lobed, and the lower lip of the corolla being 

 merely papillose. Professor Henderson found this new 

 species in open, loose soil at the bases of mountains in 

 Idaho. C. Jamesii, on the other hand, is a member of the 

 high alpine flora of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and 

 Wyoming. 



^ Henderson, L. F. New Plants from Idaho and from other localities of 

 the North West. (Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, vol. 27, 1900, p. 352.) 

 ^ Canby and Rose in Bot. Gazette, vol. 15, 1896, p. 67. 



