102 SHORT ON WESTERN BOTANY, 



this journey was published by him on his return to Paris, in 

 which he speaks in terms of respect and gratitude, of the 

 civilities and assistance which he received, during his stay in 

 Lexington, from Dr Samuel Brown, late Professor of the 

 Theory and Practice of Medicine in Transylvania University- 

 Soon after the return of Michaux the younger to Europe, 

 he published in Paris two works of which his father had left 

 the MSS. These were the Flora Boreali- Americana, in two 

 volumes, 8vo. and one volume on the Oaks of North America, 

 in folio. The former of these was the first publication ever 

 given to the world on the general Botany of North America; 

 for although partial Floras of particular districts had been 

 previously given by Cornutus, Catesby, Walter, Clayton, 

 Gronovius, INIarshall and others, yet these were all neces- 

 sarily imperfect and limited. The work of Michaux com- 

 prised descriptions of 1700 plants, and about forty new 

 Genera. 



Of these acquisitions made by Michaux to the Botany of 

 America, our own State and her sister Tennessee have the 

 honour of having furnished a due proportion ; and among 

 them some curious in their economy, and others imposing in 

 appearance. We have only time at present to allude to the 

 Pachysandra procimhens, flowering among the snows ot 

 February — the aquatic Hydropeltis purpurea, defended from 

 the action of the water by a thick glutinous covering — the 

 humble but useful Podostemum ceratophyllum^ confined to the 

 shoals of the most rapid rivers, where it serves to protect the 

 channel from the fury of the current, by binding together 

 gravel, shells, and stones, on one impenetrable mass — the 

 little Poa reptans performing the same office by matting 

 together the dry sands of the river bank — the graceful Virgi- 

 lia Ititea, decorating our calcareous cliffs with its long pen- 

 dant racemes of snow-white flowers, &c. 



His characteristic descriptions given in pure and classic 

 Latin are exceedingly faithful ; and subsequent investigations 

 have but served to confirm the fidelity of these descriptions 

 and the accuracy of his localities. Of this we will adduce 



