496 DESCRIPTION OF CASTANEA CHRYSOPHYLLA. 
majority are natives of the East Indies or the Indian Archi- 
pelago. The well known sweet chestnut, Castanea Vesca, in- 
habits the South of Europe, and authors have described in 
the United States of America, the C. Americana, scarcely 
differing from the European species: and C. pumila, a very 
distinct and handsome species. But it was the good fortune 
of Mr. David Douglas to discover, in North-western Ame- 
rica, a new species, which in the beauty of its evergreen 
foliage far exceeds any hitherto known to us, and which it is 
the object of this notice to illustrate with a figure. 
Castanea chrysophylla, Dougl. mst.; foliis semperviren- 
tibus lato-lanceolatis coriaceis acuminatis integerrimis glabris 
subtus aureo-farinosis. (Tas. XVI.) Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 
v. 2. p. 159. 
Has. Common on the Grand Rapids of the Columfia, 
Cape Orford and near Mount Hood; N. W. America; 
constantly inhabiting the hills. Douglas. 
Mr. Douglas spoke of this as a tree of great beauty, varying 
in height from 20 to 70 feet. The branches are clothed with 
persistent evergreen leaves, 4-5 inches long, full and bright 
green colour above, below, the younger ones especially, 
covered with a minute farinaceous or powdery substance, of 
a rich and full golden yellow colour, in age, however, becom- 
ing rusty, somewhat brown, quite entire. From the axils of 
the leaves arise the catkins, of which I have only seen a few 
in flower. These are scarcely 2 inches long, including the 
peduncle. Sometimes all the flowers on a catkin appear to 
be male, and sometimes the two or three, or more, lower ones 
are female, The latter are succeeded by a few clustered 
fruits, which in my specimens are immature, as large as or- 
dinary-sized marbles, and densely clothed: with rather long 
straight copious prickles. 
I am the moreanxious to direct attention to this plant, for 
there is a good reason to believe, from its locality, that it 
would prove perfectly hardy in this country: and be- 
cause it has been my good fortune, under the liberal 
patronage of the Governor and Directors of the Hudson's 
Bay Company, to unite with the Earl of Derby in sending 
