46 
BOTANICAL INDEX 
ing of the flora or fauna of any strange or almost unknown country. Assuming, J 
then, that our readers are as much interested in this subject as we are, we give a 
table of species and varieties, together with the localities where they are known to tl 
naturally exist; but must first say, that the Sagittariu present about the least dis- ■ 
tinct specific characters, probably, of any genus of plants. In the far north they J 
are often small and dwarfed, while “as we approach the tropics the leaves (blades) 1 
are found two feet long, with stems nine feet in length ; and each flower is often j 
two inches across.” — (IF. II. Dull.) Consequently, we would, probably, he justified ; 
in saying many of the so-called species (given in the usual lists) are so closely allied 
in their specific characters, that oftentimes they are only varieties or abnormal forms, ] 
produced by climatic changes or changed condition of growth of only a few origin- 
al species. Be this as it may, it is not our province to attempt a rearrangement, but, I 
simply, to treat of the established order of nomenclature as already in existence, i 
It may be well, however, to say in this connection, that Drs. Gray, Engelmann, and 
other careful students, are fast reducing the number of so-called species to their 
proper sphere, i. e., varieties , as time and opportunity offers. 
Shecies. 
Varieties. 
Synonyms. 
Habitat. 
Date. 
Acutifdlia , Linn. 
Not. of Pursh. 
West Indies. 
1820. 
August if olia , Li i idle. 
Not of Pursh. 
181*2. 
Calqcina, Engelmann. 
North America. 
“ Variety Spongiosa, Eng. 
North America. 
187o. 
l{ “ Fluitans , Eng. 
North America. 
1875. 
“ Urandis, Eng. 
North America. 
1875. 
Dontana. 
Nepal, India. 
1820. 
Falcata, l'ursli. 
S. lancifolia, Michx. expart, not of 
Linmeus. % 
North America. 
1812. 
Graminea , Michx. 
Simplex of Am. Authors, nototin- 
plex of Pursh. 
North America. 
1812. 
“ Variety Acutifolia, Pursh. 
Not Linmeus. 
North America. 
“ “ Platyphylla Eng. 
North America. 
1875. 
Heterophylla, Pursh. 
North America. 
1822. 
“ Variety EUiptica, Eng. 
North America. 
1875. 
“ “ Rit/ida. 
Sagilaria Rigida , Pursii. 
North America. 
1800. 
Jjauci folia, Linn. 
Not Lane if olid , Michx. 
North America. 
1787. 
“ Variety Falcata , Push. 
St i gilt a r in fa lea ta . 
North America. 
“ “ Ocala, Red. 
West Indies. 
Natans, Michx. 
North America. 
1812. 
“ Variety I Air at a, Clmhnian. 
S. P axilla, Pursh, expart. 
North America. 
Obtusi folia. 
China. 
1804. 
PiisilUi , Nuttall. 
Not S. PusiUa , Pursh. 
Eastern L. S., N. A. 
Sag it ti folia, Linn. 
Europe. 
Old.. 
“ El. PI. 
Europe. 
Sinensts. 
China. 
1812. 
Variabitis, Engelmann. 
S. Sag itUe folia of Am. Authors and 
- 
Simplex, Pursh, expart. 
North America. 
1840. 
“ Variety Aiu/ustifolia , Pur. 
Not of Lindlev. 
North America. 
“ “ Dicer si folia, Eng. 
North America. 
1875. 
“ Gracilis. 
Species Gracilis, Pursh. 
North America. 
“ “ Hast ala. 
“ Hastala, Pursh. 
North America. 
1818. 
“ “ Lot i folia. 
“ Latifolia, Willd. 
North America. 
1818. 
“ “ Lati folia, FI. PI. 
North America. 
“ “ Obtusa . 
Species Obtusa, Willd. 
North America. 
1820. 
“ “ Pubescens. 
“ Pubescens , Muhl. 
North America. 
In studying the geographical range of the Sagittaria, as presented in the above 
table, we find them “more or less abundantly distributed over the northern hemi- 
sphere, but rarer in the tropics.” — (Hooker.) Sir Joseph Paxton gives no tropical 
species in his list, and Griseback, in his Flora of the British West Indian Islands, de- 
scribes only two species, the habitat of which, he gives as “Jamaica and Cuba to (?) i 
Guina, South America.” The list of localities at our command is very meager and 
indefinite, consequently, very unsatisfactory; enough is known, however, to enable 
us to arrive at the following conclusion for North America: “Common throughout 
all the Atlantic States; abundant throughout all the central portion of the Conti- 
nent, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes; and very generally distributed 
along the Pacific coast, from California to British Columbia, inclusive. For its 
northern limit, we will quote from a private letter recently received from Prof. 
George W. Dawson, of the Canadian Geological Survey, who has very satisfactorily 
settled the question. He says: “Sir J. Richardson includes it in his list of plants, 
from the zone embracing from 45° to 55° on the eastern aide of America, and 49° to 
38° on the western coast. He marks it as common to the eastern wooded district of 
the eastern provinces (Canada) and the Pacific coast, but does not give it in his list . 
of plants found north of the Arctic circle. The plant occurs in British Columbia, 
but I cannot give the precise localities. Prof. Macoun enters it as found in the 
Peace River and Athabasca county, as well as in British Columbia and the Saskatch- 
