A RENARI A SUBCONGESTA (WatS.) Arenaria Fe/alai subcongesta Wats. Bot. King's Exp. 40. 1871. A. congesta subcongesta Wats. Bot. Cal. 1: 69. 1876.
Arcnaria stibcongesta as generally understood, I think, contains more than one distinct type; at least, that is the case with the material in the Columbia herbarium. The form repre sented by Watson's original from the King Expedition and the common plant of Montana, I think, is perfectly distinct from both A. Fendleri and A. congesta, and the relationship is rather with A. capillaris. Depauperate specimens of A. szthcongesta resemble strikingly A. capillai is nardifolia. It differs, however, in the scarious bracts and the more acute sepals, which are nearly as broad as in A. capillaris. It surprises me that it ever could have been made a
variety of A. Fendleri, which has very narrowly lanceolate atten uate sepals. I do not see any reason for uniting it with A. congesta, which has lanceolate, decidedly carinate sepals and headlike in florescence, while in A. subcongesta the sepals are ovate rather than lanceolate, are not carinate, but three-nerved, and the inflores cence is open. As stated before, it comes in every respect nearer to A. capillaris, but I think it has just as good right to specific rank as any of the species mentioned.
A. subcongesta is common in central and southwestern Mon tana. Flodman, nos. 433 to 438, Rydberg, 2642, etc.