26 
O. S. U. Naturalist. 
[ Vol. 1, No. 2 
meadows where the earlier stems have been destroyed or disturbed. 
But often on such stems (marked 1) the leaves are broad and have 
the natural shape. 
Size of Leaves. — The size of the leaves is strikingly variable. 
The specimens shown on plate 4 being reproduced from photographs 
exhibit correctly this variability. Careful measurements also were 
made of leaves taken at random from hundreds selected to illustrate 
this point. These since they give both the length and width of the 
leaf demonstrate the shape as well as the size. The measurements 
are in decimeters and one hundred of them are as follows: 
12x11.5 
12.5x9.5 
8.5x6 
9x2 
9.5x3. 8 
7. 8x2. 2 
11x10.5 
12x9.5 
7.5x5 5 
9x3.5 
8x4 
7. 3x2. 8 
1 2x1 1 
12x11 
8.6x5. 4 
8x1.5 
7x2.8 
6x1.7 
13x10.6 
11x11.8 
8x6 
6x0.7 
8x3.8 
5.3xl.6 
11x12 
12.2x9.8 
9x6 
8x1.5 
4.5x1 
8x3.4 
12.5x11.2 
11.5x10 
8.5x6 
7x1.8 
7x2.2 
7. 5x2. 5 
12.2x10 
13.5x10.5 
8.5x5. 8 
6.8x2 
7x3.2 
6x2.5 
12x11 
11.5x9.6 
9. 8x6. 4 
7.5x2.2 
6.2x2. 5 
6x2.8 
11x11 
8x5.5 
9x7.3 
5.5x2. 5 
8. 2x2. 8 
6x2.6 
11.5x11.1 
9x6 
8.3x5. 8 
7. 6x2.2 
6. 5x2. 2 
7x2.8 
11x10.8 
9. 2x6.5 
9x6.5 
7.8x2 
5. 5x2. 9 
8.4x3 
12x11.5 
8x5.5 
9. 9x7. 6 
6.5x2 
7.3x2.7 
9. 8x3.5 
12x10.6 
9x7 
8. 2x4.6 
7x0.8 
8x1.8 
10x3.5 
13x11 
8. 5x7. 5 
8.5x6 
8.4x0. 7 
9.5x1. 9 
9.6x3. 8 
12x11 
7. 5x4. 5 
8.8x6 
8x1 .4 
9.5x2. 2 
7. 5x1. 7 
11.5x10.8 
8. 5x6. 2 
9.5x7 
8.5x2 
8. 4x2. 2 
9. 4x2. 5 
12x11.3 
9x7 
11.1x2.2 
9x3.5 
8x2.5 
Desckiption of the Leaf. — Neither the description as given 
originally (1787) by Walter nor those contained in our Manuals give 
any intimation of such variability as actually occurs. Some of them 
are as follows: Walter says “foliis oblongo-cordatis ” ; Wood, 
41 ovate, finally nearly orbicular, abruptly contracted at one end 
Gray, “ovate, rarely subcordate, abruptly mucronate”; Britton, 
“ ovate, acute or cuspidate at the apex, sometimes cordate at the 
base. ” I would suggest the following as applicable to the Ohio 
specimens : Leaves mostly ovate , often broadly oval (occasionally broader 
than long), sometimes oblong-ovate , varying to lanceolate or even linear ; 
the base mostly sub-cordate but often cordate or even cuneate ; the apex 
cuspidate to acute or sub-acuminate. 
Smieax spinulosa. — Britton and Brown in the illustrated 
Flora, 1 : 410, appends to the description of Smilax glauca the follow- 
ing paragraph: “Smilax spinulosa J. E. Smith, is a form with 
numerous small prickles on the lower part of the stem, and more 
elongated, sometimes halberd-shaped leaves. It occurs in southern 
New York, but is not well understood.” However Smilax spinulosa 
