146  Asarum  Canadense,  L.  {^il^$m.m' 
Asarum  Canadense,  L."  he  says:  "  It  has  certainly  much  significance 
in  its  bearings  on  the  study  of  our  common  flora  that  a  plant  so 
noteworthy  as  the  familiar  wild  ginger,  and  supposedly  so  well 
understood,  should  now  reveal  itself  as  embracing  two  perfectly  dis- 
tinct species.  Both  plants  are  common  and  widely  distributed,  but 
they  are  so  much  alike  in  general  appearance  that  it  is  scarcely  a 
matter  of  surprise  that  they  have  held  their  secret  so  long.  Agree- 
ing in  main  features  throughout,  they  share  the  same  general  form 
of  rootstock,  leaf  and  flower,  are  similar  in  habit  of  growth,  and 
bloom  at  the  same  time.  The  differences  between  them  are,  in  fact, 
no  greater  than  might  fairly  measure  the  variation  of  a  single  spe- 
cies, and  that  they  are  of  higher  import  has  been  learned  only  by 
careful  field-study  continued  through  several  seasons.  While  the 
determination  of  dried  specimens  is  not  always  easy,  living  plants 
may  always  be  distinguished  instantly  by  a  glance  at  the  flowers, 
and  further  comparative  study  cannot  fail  to  lead  to  their  recogni- 
tion as  beautifully  similar,  yet  beautifully  distinct  species." 
"  The  most  obvious  differences  between  these  plants  reside  in  the 
flowers.  In  the  one,  the  calyx-lobes  are  spreading  and  revolute, 
passing  gradually  into  a  slender,  upcurved  acumination,  and  the 
interior  of  the  tube  is  purple  nearly  down  to  the  base ;  in  the  other 
species  the  calyx- tube  is  white  within  and  the  flat  and  reflexed 
lobes  are  abruptly  acuminate  at  the  apex  into  a  straight  obtuse 
point." 
The  new  species  Mr.  Bicknell  calls  A.  reflexnm,  and  in  order  to 
readily  see  the  distinction  between  this  and  A.  Canadense,  I  have 
arranged  the  elements  of  the  two,  with  their  characteristics,  as  given 
by  Mr.  Bicknell  in  the  following  manner  : 
Asarum  Canadense,  L. 
(1)  Roots  numerous,  mostly  clus- 
tered at  the  lower  ends  of  the  inter- 
nodes,  often  densely  matted  together. 
(2)  Rootstock  short,  stout,  2 '5-15 
cm.  long,  6-10  mm.  thick. 
(3)  Internodes  1*5 -4-0  cm.  long, 
puberulent,  narrowly  scarred  from  the 
insertion  of  the  pollen  bracts. 
(4)  Constricted  at  the  nodes. 
Asarum  refiexum  (n.  sp.  Bicknell). 
(1)  Roots  fewer  and  more  slender 
than  in  Canadense,  more  scattered,  or 
borne  mainly  at  the  forward  ends  of 
the  internodes. 
(2)  Rootstock  slender  and  elon- 
gated, 1 '0-4-5  dm.  long,  about  4  mm. 
thick. 
(3)  Internodes  4-10  cm.  long,  glab- 
rous, bract  scars  prominent,  the 
uppermost  distant. 
(4)  Little,  if  at  all,  constricted  at 
the  joints. 
