BOTANY AT ST. LOT IS 489 



the plants of the eastern states and of Europe were already well known 

 at the close of the eighteenth century. Of course many new western 

 plants were discovered, the medical properties of which had to be deter- 

 mined; but this was not the main object in making a study of them. 

 We find three distinct periods of botanical work which include the 

 one hundred and thirteen years that have elapsed since Michaux's 

 visit. These may be designated as follows : First, exploration by botan- 

 ists on transient visits of a few days' to a few months' time; second, 

 collecting by persons who lived in or near St. Louis for a number of 

 years; third, modern botany as contrasted with the purely systematic 

 work of early days. These three periods overlap one another, but can 

 still be distinguished without difficulty. The first includes most of 

 the work done previously to 1850; the second began with the work of 

 Engelmaim and his numerous contemporary collector friends, who 

 relied upon him for assistance in naming their collections: it may even 

 be said to extend until the present time, as considerable work is still 

 being clone upon the local flora of the district; the third period may 

 be said to date from the founding of the Shaw School of Botany, and 

 the assumption of control of the Missouri Botanical Garden by the 

 board of trustees. 



Andre Michaux, the great French botanist, who explored so ex- 

 tensively the territory of the thirteen original colonies as far west as 

 the Mississippi Biver, is the first botanical worker concerning whom 

 published records have yet been found as having worked in the vicinity 

 of St. Louis. Fie is known to have visited Kaskaskia and Cahokia, 

 and the evidence seems to indicate that he must have visited the west 

 shore of the Mississippi, since a few species are listed in his " Flora " 

 as coming from the Missouri Biver. 



Andre Michaux 2 was born at Satory, near Versailles, France, in 

 1746. He was destined by his father for the superintendence of a farm 

 of the royal estate, and early became interested in agriculture. Upon 

 the death of his young wife, at the birth of their son, Francois Andre, 

 he devoted himself to scientific studies, especially botany. He studied 

 botany under Bernard cle Jussieu, and sought in foreign lands for 

 strange plants. In 1779-81 he traveled in England, the Auvergne, 

 the Byrenees and Spain. In 1782-5 he was in Bersia in a political 

 capacity, but really to explore a country at that time almost unknown 

 to scientific men ; he intended to return to Bersia, but was requested in 

 1785, by the French government, to introduce into France such North 



2 Hooker, W. J., Amer. Jour. Sci. and Arts, 1st series, 9: 266-269, 1825. 

 Gray, Asa, Ditto, 1 ser., 42: 2-9, 1842. 

 Coulter, J. L., Bot. Gaz., 8: 181-183, 1883. 

 Rusby, H. H., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, 11: 88-90, 18S4. 

 Sargent, C. S., "Scientific Papers of Asa Gray," 2: 23-31, 1889. 

 Thwaites, R. G., "Early Western Travels," 3: 11-19, 27-104, 1904. 



