THE 



CRYPTOGAMIC PLANTS 



OF TIIK 



UNITED STATES. 



o^ /) »«♦»♦- '' 



Natura maxime 7niratula in minimis. — Lrax^ECS. ( ^d'^^-Jylty^ y (j),] 



" II ltd faut un Ouvi'age qui reeueille toi:tes ees richesses scientifiqiies disseminees 

 dans tous ces memoirs, et les cordonne de fa5on a, faire ressortir tout ce qui est gail- 

 lant. Cet Ouvrage n'existant pas, je formai des lors le projet de le composer." 



The paper which we have the honor to present, is supplemen- 

 tary to the "Report on tlie Medical Botany of the State of South 

 Carolina," prepared by your Committee, and published in the 

 second volume of the Transactions of the American Medical Asso- 

 ciation. It endeavors to complete that sketch of the medicinal 

 properties of the Phfenogamous Plants, by extending the incpiiry 

 to the Crj'^ptogamons. 



It has been undertaken as a contribution as well to the materia 

 medica of the State as to the history of her resources. Hence, 

 we have not hesitated to embrace in it all available information 

 respecting productions which do not contain proj^erties strictly 

 medicinal, but which subserve any useful purpose. All facts 

 which throw light upon the poisonous properties of plants may 

 be regarded as of service, if only approximately ; the possession 

 of these often leading to their application as curative agents, and 

 the history of our therapeia showing, indeed, that from this class 

 have been drawn some of its largest and most important addi- 



* It should Le stated, that this Report was completed and in the Iiands of the 

 Association two years since. Its appearance was delayed in order to enable the 

 writer, who was absent in Europe, to make alterations or additions, and to revise its 

 publication. 



