PROFESSOR JOHN TORRE 'T, M. >., LL. D. 635 



lished until 1828. It is a memoir of some 80 pages, and enumerates 

 481 plants, many of which were new species. This was, up to the date 

 of its publication, the author's most important contribution to science, 

 and is even now frequently referred to by the student of our Western 

 plants. Besides, it has an especial interest, as it was the first Ameri- 

 can work of any importance in which the arrangement was according 

 to the natural system. The only earlier publication in which the nat- 

 ural system was used being a list by Abbe Correa, of the genera in 

 Muhlenburgh's catalogue, arranged according to the natural orders of 

 Jussieu. 



1831. "A Catalogue of North American Genera of Plants, ar- 

 ranged according to the Orders of Lindley's Introduction to Botany." 

 This was published both in a separate form and as an Appendix to an 

 American edition of Lindley's work. 



1836. "A Monograph of the Cyperaceae." (Annals of the Lyceum.) 



1837. "New Genera and Species of Plants." 



1838. "The Flora of North America, by John Torrey and Asa 

 Gray," was commenced and published in numbers, and at irregular 

 intervals, until the year 1843. Dr. Asa Gray, then a young physician 

 in Western New York, who had already shown great acuteness in his 

 investigations of the flora of the part of the State in w T hich he re- 

 sided, was happily associated with Dr. Torrey in this great undertak- 

 ing of publishing a " Flora of North America." The work was sus- 

 pended with the completion of the " Composition," and for sufficient 

 reasons. Just at this time our Government began to explore its West- 

 ern territory, soon greatly enlarged by the annexation of Texas and 

 the acquisitions by the war with Mexico. New botanical material ac- 

 cumulated at an astonishing rate, and our chief botanists had to 

 choose between continuing the Flora, and allowing these botanical 

 treasures to pass into other hands. They wisely determined to devote 

 themselves to elaborating the new material, knowing that this work 

 would be contributing to the future flora of North America, which, 

 from the enlarged possessions and more thorough exploration of the 

 older territory, must be taken up de novo. Both authors have indus- 

 triously worked at the collections brought home by the various gov- 

 ernment and private explorers ; those wholly or in large part by Dr. 

 Torrey are here enumerated. 



1843. "The Flora of the State of New York," being a portion of 

 " The Natural History of New York." This work is in two large 

 quarto volumes, of over 500 pages each, and illustrated with 161 plates. 

 The descriptions are all redrawn, elaborate, and in a somewhat pop- 

 ular style. It is a most striking testimony to the industry of the au- 

 thor, who, while engaged upon this work, and making important ex- 

 plorations incidental to it, was at the same time discharging his pro- 

 fessional duties at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and at 

 Princeton. 



