The genus Ec/teandia, founded on Anth-rh-um ra1,xum Cav., was proposed by Ortega in his Novarum Plantarum Decades in 17!»s, and has been generally maintained by botanists since. Kunth, in 1843, recognized three species under it. Baker, monographing the A nthcr-tcme^ in 1877, could find no clear lines of demarcation between these species and referred all the material known to him to the original species. Hemsley, though suspecting that more than one species was concerned, retained Baker's

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... nt because of insufficient material for a satisfactory revision. Since the date of his work, the increasingly thorough floristic exploration of Mexico has revealed a number of obviously distinct forms, several of which have been singly described by various botanists. The genus can hardly yet be considered as thoroughly understood ; but a brief synopsis, which shall contrast the characters of the different species and bring together the existing information concerning them, may be of service, even though it can lay no claim to finality. The following is an attempt at such a synopsis. Eckeandia is, so far as known, a strictly American genus and chiefly confined to Mexico and Central America. The material at I one species collected in Venezuela. The genus is very closely related to Antherkum L., from which, indeed, it is separated by only one constant character -its connate anthers. Alt species of Anther icum are more numerous than those of Ecfo'imlin, the two groups show a distinctly parallel development^ both containing species with smooth and with roughened filaments, smooth and scabrous stems and ovoid and oblong capsules. In particular, E. macromrpa and A. atewimrjium, and E Prhxjl> and J. tenue five nearly indistinguishable except by the characters of their anthers. C)5S PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY.