Research Notice: Trillium Speciation in the Smoky Mountains In 2008 I joined a research project initiated many years ago by Richard Vagner, in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is concerned with the relationships between species in and around the national park. Two of those species, Trillium simile and T. erectum album, appear to form a cline with simile at the foot of the mountains, and erectum album at the higher elevations. We have collected samples of several colonies along the cline under our National Park Research Permits. I think we now have a broad sampling of both species in the eastern Tennessee-western North Carolina area. We are seeking collaboration with a laboratory that can carry out DNA sequence analysis of these plants with the aim of clarifying their relationship. If anyone wants more information, they should contact me at the address below. James E. Shields, PhD Tel. ++1-317-896-3925 17808 Grassy Branch Rd. Cell ++1-317-506-4726 Westfield, IN 46074 <jshields@indy.net> USA