ART. XX.-Observations on some New England Plants, with characters of several new species; by EDWARD TUCKERMAN, A.M.

SUBULARIA aquatica. This plant has been entirely unknown in this country since its discovery by Mr. Nuttall in the ponds of Paris, Maine, and was sought for unsuccessfully, at Nuttall's station, by Dr. Robbins. In 1844, I was so fortunate as to meet with it growing abundantly, in about a foot of water, in company with Isoëtes lacustris, on the gravelly bottom of Echo Lake, Franconia Notch, N. H. I have not observed it in any other of the numerous ponds of the White Mountains, and it is possibly quite local.

EPILOBIUM alpinum, & fontanum, (Wahl.): foliis ovatis denticulatis, Wahl. Lapp. p. 98

HAB. About rivulets in the alpine region of the White Mountains, and occasionally descending, along the streams A taller (often 6 to 8 in. high) and stouter plant than the true E. alpinum, with larger ovate leaves, obtuse but tapering above, and always distinctly denticulate.

E. alpinum, 7 nutans, (Hornem.): foliis lineari-lanceolatis obtusis obsolete denticulatis, caule paucifloro sparsim crispulo-pubescenti, siliquis cano-pubescentibus. E. nutans, Sommerf. Suppl. Fl. Lapp. p. 17, Fide J. Vahl! E. alpinum, & nutans, Hornem. Fl. Oec. cit. Sommerf.

HAB. Alpine region of the White Mountains, in rather dry soil, not rare. Always distinguishable by its nodding, commonly solitary flower, and the hoary pubescence of the pods. It appears somewhat nearer than Sommerfelt's plant to E. palustre, and differs in some respects from the description of the Norwegian author, but was recognized as belonging to his species by the excellent northern botanist above cited.

POTAMOGETON. This genus will reward more attention than it seems yet to have received here. Characters of two species, supposed to be undescribed, were given by me in this Journal in 1843, and subsequent investigation has not only confirmed my opinion of the distinctness of these two, but has brought to light several others that seem to be unnoticed by authors. The descriptions which follow, have been made from living plants, in every case. I have similar notes already collected respecting many of our better known species, and hope on a future occasion, to continue these sketches, and perhaps thus acquire suitable material for a survey of the whole genus, as represented with us. P. pulcher, (Tuckerm.): caule simplici verrucoso; foliis omnibus petiolatis; submersis membranaceis pellucidis, infimis ovalibus spatulatisve superioribus lanceolatis basi acutis apice attenuatis acuminatis, multi-nervibus undulatis; natantibus coria

cies ovatis, supremis plus minus rotundatis profunde cordatis petiolis subcanaliculatis sæpius longioribus; stipulis elongatis linearilinguiformibus acutis; pedunculis longiusculis; fructibus recentibus late oblique obovatis lunatis, stylo subapicali mucronatis, dorso tricarinatis, lateribus convexis in faciem acutam declivibus. P. pulcher, Tuckerm. Obs. in Sill. Journ., xlvi, p. 38. HAB. Ponds; Stoneham, Tewksbury, apparently not very common, but abundant where it occurs. Fl May, June. Fr. June, July. Stem mostly simple, terete, thick and spongy, conspicuously black-warted, 2-5 feet long. Floating leaves large, attaining to the size of 5 in. by 3, the uppermost more or less rounded-ovate, deeply cordate, on channelled petioles shorter than the blade; the lower ones oblong-ovate, slightly or scarcely cordate, on elongated petioles; all marked on the under side with very numerous, commonly impressed nerves. Submersed leaves rather distant, membranaceous, inconspicuously many-nerved, the principal ones pellucid, loosely netted veined, lanceolate with an acute base and an attenuate and acuminate tip, undulate-serrate, short-petiolate, 5-8 in. long; the lowest smaller and thicker, more oval, or spatulate, on more elongated petioles. Stipules long, rather acute. Peduncles a little thickened, commonly more than twice as long as the slender spike. Nutlets broad-obovate, the back sharply tricarinate, broadly furrowed between the keels when dry, the middle keel prominent and slightly irregular, the lateral ones less acute, sides convex, sloping to the sharply carinate front, which is produced at the middle. Exocarp thin. Putamen thick, hard. Seed uncinate-convolute. The floating leaves of this Potamogeton have probably been passed over as belonging to P. natans, but the two plants are very different. P. natans is always characterized by its much elongated petioles, the lower of which are so commonly destitute of the blade, that the species has been described as possessing lower leaves without blades. It is very common with us, and near to P. fluitans and P. oblongus, but cannot be confounded either with the present species or the next. The Potamogetons are typically, submersed plants, and their floating leaves become of importance in characterizing the species, only when taken in connexion with the submersed ones. The floating leaves are often merely accessory, and their number is uncertain, the lower ones constantly varying in texture and shape with the character and depth of the

water.

P. amplifolius, (Sp. nov.): caule simplici stipulis amplectentibus incluso; foliis omnibus petiolatis; submersis membranaceis pellucidis late lanceolatis basi apiceque acutis plus minus falcato recurvis conspicue 6-8-nerviis undulatis petiolis longiusculis canaliculatis; natantibus coriaceis ovato-s. oblongo-lanceolatis, superioribus petiolis longiusculis plerumque longioribus; stipulis

elongatis linguiformibus acuminatis; pedunculis incrassatis; fructibus recentibus oblique obovatis breviter recurvo-rostratis dorso arcuato rotundatis, lateribus convexis in faciem rotundatam declivibus.

HAB. Ponds; Cambridge and elsewhere, very common in New England, and I have seen it from New York. Fl. June, July. Fr. July, Aug. Stem simple, terete, enclosed by the clasping stipules, 2-5 feet long. Floating leaves oblong-lanceolate, the base often ovate and subcordate, marked on the under side with 6-8 prominent nerves, 3-5 in. long, by 13 to 12 in. wide, on channelled petioles, of which the uppermost are mostly shorter than the blade. Submersed leaves delicate, pellucid, broadlanceolate, acute at each end, more or less recurved and sickleshaped, 6-8 nerved, obscurely but closely netted-veined, 5-8 in. long, by 1 to 2 and more in width, on conspicuous, channelled, and in the uppermost, elongated petioles. Stipules long, (the uppermost often 4-5 in.) acuminate, inclosing the stem. Peduncles much thickened, often more than twice the size of the stem, longer than the elongated spike. Nutlets not very obliquely obovate, slightly beaked, rounded on the back. The rather thin exocarp being removed, the back appears rounded-carinate, with a sunken line on each side. Putamen thick, spongy. Seed convolute-uncinate.

P. lonchites, (Sp. nov.): caule gracili ramoso; foliis submersis membranaceis, superioribus breviter petiolatis reliquis sessilibus, elongatis lanceolato-linearibus basi attenuatis acuminatis nervis 6-8 prominulis omnibus undulatis petiolis supra planis, infimis longe mucronatis s. in subulas rigidiusculas acuminatas abeuntibus; natantibus chartaceis membranaceisve ovatis ovalibus lanceolatisve apice plus minus attenuatis undulatisque petiolis supra planis; stipulis gracilibus lineari-linguiformibus obtusis; pedunculis incrassatis spicis gracilibus triplo longioribus; fructibus recentibus oblique obovatis vix lunatis compressiusculis obsolete tricarinatis rostello brevi truncato terminatis, dorso acutiusculo, lateribus in faciem acutam declivibus.

HAB. Rivers; in the Charles at Newton and Natick. Fl. June, July. Fr. July, Aug. Stem slender, terete, much branched, elongated, (3-6 feet long.) Submersed leaves lanceolate-linear, tapering at the base, long-acuminate and often a little falcate above, undulate, with 6-8 scarcely prominent nerves, loosely nettedveined, 5-10 inches long by 3-6 lines in width. Floating leaves delicate, papyraceous, or often, and especially the lowest membranaceous, always more or less tapering and waved above, with about 6 prominent nerves on the under side, either shorter and the base more or less ovate (2-3 in. long by about 13 in. wide), or elongated-lanceolate (4-5 in. long by about 1 in. wide), the petioles rather elongated, flat and one-furrowed above. Stipules

very slender, shortish. Spikes slender, on elongated, thickened peduncles. Nutlets small, obovate, scarcely lunate, obscurely tricarinate, terminated by a short, truncate beak. This handsome species is extremely abundant in Charles river. Though near to P. heterophyllus of authors, (P. gramineus, Fr., Koch.) it appears to be distinct from my numerous European specimens of that species, as well as from perfectly corresponding American specimens, from the lakes of Western New York, in the Herbarium of Dr. Gray.

P. Claytonii, (Tuckerm.): caule compresso ramoso; foliis submersis membranaceis gramineis elongatis linearibus acutiusculis basi vix attenuatis 5-nervibus sessilibus; natantibus coriaceis crassiusculis angustatis ellipticis obovatisve petiolis breviusculis compressis; stipulis linguiformibus acutis; pedunculis teretibus æqualibus breviusculis; fructibus recentibus oblique obovatis tricarinatis, carina media acuta superne gibboso-alata, lateralibus distinctis obtusis, stigmate subapicali, lateribus convexiusculis, facie carinata. P. Claytonii, Tuckerman Obs. in Sill. Journ., xlv, p. 38. P. fluitans, Pursh! Fl. 1. p. 120. Bigel. Fl. Bost. edit. 2. p. 63, e descr. Torr. Fl. U. S. p. 196, e descr.

HAB. Ponds, rivers, and ditches in meadows, common in New England, and extending southward to Virginia! Stem compressed below; branched, in wholly submersed, sterile plants from below, in fertile ones especially from above, and bearing often numerous (8-12) spikes; 2-5 feet long. Submersed leaves grasslike, linear, a little tapering at base, and very slightly so above to the obtusish tip, about 5-nerved, the space between the midrib and the nearest lateral nerves on either hand remarkably cellulose reticulate (as observed by Chamisso, cited below), 5-8 inches long. Floating leaves rather small, thickish, narrowed, tapering to the commonly short petiole, marked on the under side with about 14 inconspicuous, impressed nerves, the petioles compressed, flattish and one-furrowed above. Stipules short. Peduncles of the size of the stem, rather short, often of about the length of the cylindrical spikes. Nutlets obovate, the sharp keel abruptly alate above and sloping suddenly toward the style, lateral keels obtuse, the sides when dry impressed in the middle. Exocarp thickish and as well as the rather thin and hard putamen thickened above. Seed cochleate-convolute. I have found this species in its most perfect state, in which the whole plant is of a bright grass-green, only in ponds. Smaller, more or less fuscescent forms are common in ditches, as well as a wholly submersed, sterile state, with a little of the habit of P. compressus. To the neighborhood of that species, the present one, though its (necessary) floating leaves compel it to assume a very different habit, is probably near. A similar change of habit is seen in the plants with floating leaves, of the next species. Poiret (Enc. Suppl. IV. 534,) under P. he

terophyllus, notices a Potamogeton from North Carolina, as pos sibly a distinct species, which seems from his description to be the present. P. fluitans, e. Americani, Nuttallii, provisionally thus disposed by Chamisso, (Linnæa, 2. p. 226, & t. VI, f. 25,) accords also in every respect with P. Claytonii, except the described and figured orbiculation of the fruit, the base of the nutlets in our plants being always, so far as I have observed, acutish, and the whole outline consequently obovate. The specimen without fruit, from North Carolina, described on the next page of the same memoir, as well as probably that from Pennsylvania, described at the same place, also belong, I think, without doubt, to P. Claytonii.

P. heterophyllus, Pursh, Fl. 2, p. 120, which is included in that part of Pursh's Herbarium that is in my possession, is a plant resembling P. Claytonii, but much smaller and more delicate throughout, explaining thus the citation in the Flora of P. hybridus, Michx., as a synonym of so different a species as the P. heterophyllus of authors. It was noticed as variety ẞ in my former account of the present species, in this Journal, with the remark that it might turn out to be distinct. The stem is extremely slender, branched, and apparently much compressed, about a foot long; the submersed leaves elongated, very narrow-linear, acuminate, sessile, 3-nerved, - a line wide and 3-5 inches long; the floating ones (sometimes undistinguishable from the others, or the blade a little widened below the acuminate tip, and the rest of the leaf serving as a petiole) papyraceous, very delicate, lanceolate, with about 10 impressed nerves on the under side, the largest about an inch and a quarter long, by about five lines in width, on elongated, compressed petioles; stipules slender, very long, nerved. The leaves are approximated, with something of a fasciculate aspect. It is found, according to Pursh's Flora, in slow flowing waters of Virginia and Carolina, and his ticket, (upon which "P. hybridus" seems to have been written first, and "P. heterophyllus" afterwards added) records the station "Walker's meadows." The P. hybridus of Barton's Compendium, Fl. Philad. 1. p. 96, is possibly the same plant. Should the fruit confirm its apparent claims to be considered a species, it may not inappropriately take the name of P. Purshii.

P. Spirillus, (Sp. nov.): caule compresso, parte inferiori concavo-convexo, ramoso; foliis submersis membranaceis gramineis cum stipulis connatis basique vaginantibus linearibus obtusis 3-nerviis sessilibus; natantibus subcoriaceis oblongis lanceolatis linearibusve, subtus nervis 3-7 impressis sulcatis, petiolis canaliculatis cum stipulis infra medium connatis; stipulis foliorum submersorum liguliformibus hyalinis laceratis; spicis partis submersæ alaribus capitatis paucifloris brevissime pedunculatis pedunculis erectiusculis compressis clavatis, natantis cylindricis plurifloris longius pedunculatis; fructibus recentibus obovato-lentiformibus