Massachusetts, Lenox. July 11, 1889. W. M. Whitfield.
Pennsylvania, Lycoming Co. September 18, 1890. John K. Small and A. A. Heller.
West Virginia, Lone Tree Knob, Summit. C. F. Millspaugh, M. D. Flora of West Virginia, No. 4$o.
Montana, Belt Mountains, near Hound Creek. Aug. 2, 1883. F. Lamson Scribner.
Wyoming, Laramie Peak, Aug. 8, 1895. Aven Nelson. Flora of Wyoming, No. 1653.
I have also received the plant from Lewis and Ulster Coun ties, N. Y., and have collected it at York Harbor, Maine, the type locality, and in the Pocono region of Pennsylvana.
Type specimens from York Harbor are deposited in the Her baria of Columbia University, and the New York Botanical Garden.
I take pleasure in naming this species in honor of Dr. N. L. Britton.
To anyone not having given particular attention to our species of Agrimonia it is altogether likely that this plant would pass un questioned for A. hirsida. It has more the general aspect of that species than of any other, the large fruit distinguishing it at once from A. mollis, with which in some respects it appears to have closer affinity. From kirsnia it may be readily distinguished by reference alone to its hoary pubescent racemes and darker green acuminate leaflets pubescent on the lower surface. It is less glandulose and aromatic than hirsuta and grows to be stouter and taller with straighter stem, stouter more ascending branches and longer more virgate racemes. The hairiness of the stem is also of a different character, being coarser and denser, with shorter, stiffer hair. The leaves are commonly narrower and less spread ing, the thicker rugose-veiny leaflets more sharply serrate and acuminate with pubescent lower surface bearing brighter glan dules and having the margins ciliolate instead of ciliate-fringed. Numerous specimens of h/rsuta have failed to show any indica tions of incised bases of the lateral leaflets or a decurrent distal pair, or subleaflets in the position of stipels. The stipules of A.
Brittoninna are narrower and more incised than those of hirsithz, and the bracteoles are notably unlike. The fruit, which is more crowded and closely reflexed, is of a different form, wanting the expanded marginal rim, tumid disk and contracted base charac teristic of the fruit of hirstaa and, at maturity, presenting a signally diverse appearance from all our species by reason of the conical mass of connivent bristles.
From A. moth's the species differs in greater size, the stouter stem harshly hirsute instead of loosely villose or tomentose-pubes cent, larger and thicker acuminate leaves provided with shining glandules on the lower surface and quite wanting the obovate or oblong figure and crenate or dentate margins of those of larger, more crowded flowers, much larger, more turbinate and deeply sulcate fruit having the bristles crowded and connivent in stead of loosely ascending or erect.
The general character of the pubescence and branching of A. Britfintiana is much like that of A. parvora, and the glandules be neath the leaflets present nearly the same appearance in both spe cies. Other, if slighter, evidences of relationship between the two plants may also be noted, such as the sharply serrate often narrow leaflets of Briltaniana, the occasionally decurrent distal pair, the narrow and numerous subleaflets, the elongated racemes. These characteristics are more or less destinctive of Brittomana among our species other than pal-yr/lora, in which they all find a more pro nounced expression. The fruit of the two species is, however, re mai kably different.
A. 13ritioniona is in fact very distinct from any American species while nearly related to certain Asiatic forms—A. viscid/I/a Bge., A. pilosa Ledeb. and A. Dahill ica Willd., plants which have been variously confused together by authors, and all of which have finally been referred to A. Eztpatoria L.