624 General Notes. [June, 
known as Sisyrinchium bermudiana, and after comparing them 
with numerous specimens of the plant so calle m eastern 
North America, I was convinced that such was the case. Refer- 
ring to the literature of the subject, I found this view supported 
by all the early writers who had actually seen the Bermudan plant. 
The history of the two species concerned is soon told. Towards 
the end of the seventeenth century Plukenet figured and briefly 
described what he termed the Bermudan and the Virginian Sisy- 
rynchii, the types of which are still preserved in the Sloane Her- 
barium at the British Museum. Dillenius, who had opportunities 
of seeing living plants at Eltham, followed Plukenet in distinguish- 
ing these two species, and published better figures and mor 
complete descriptions of them in the ‘Hortus Elthamensis 
Linnaeus, who we assume did not see the Bermudan plant, as there 
is no specimen in his herbarium, united the two, as varieties 
one, under the name of S. dermudiana, Miller, who seems to 
have been the most accomplished English botanist of his day, w3 
the first to restore the two forms to specific rank. ps ee 
1771. In 1789 Curtis figured the true Bermudan plant and i 
upon its specific rank, remarking that he had living plants ard 
him of both the species figured by Dillenius. Unfortunately 
gave it a new specific name, for which he afterwards € veil 
his regret. The first DeCandolle wrote the text to the eked 7 
figure of the Bermudan plant, which was published in ihe 
‘ Liliacées,’ at the beginning of the present century, an taket 
. A : ee $ 1 have not 
ticularly points out its distinctive characters. sos aft 
the trouble to turn up every book in which the two spect 
likely to be mentioned, and I ae no PA : 
i i ; o see 
first botanist to reunite them; but the Sof Si sinc 
ceived by its behavior during a very mild wi n : 
that the Bermudan plant was hardy, an pao pre of his 5 4 
The synonymy of the Bermudan plant wert 5 tant Milles 
SIsYRINCHIUM BERMUDIANA Linn. Sp. Pl., ed. 1. p. 954 sp“ caah 
ict., ed, 6; Lamarck Encycl. Method. Bot. 1., P- 408; mistis; 1% 
Sisyrinchium dermudense floribus parvis, ex cæruleo A rgs ytogts t 61, figs * T q 
goides quorundam; Plukenet, Amagestum, p. 34° =; Herb. P- peT | 
Bermudiana Iridis folio, fibrosa radice, Tournefort, Inst. Rei ae 
Dillenius, Hort. Elth., p, 48, t. 41, fig. 4 
Sisyrinchium iridioides Curtis, Bot. Mag., t. 94+ 
