112 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



Robust ; stems erect or at length prostrate, compressed, sparingly branched. Leaves 

 erect, appressed, imbricated, not changed in drying, oblong-ovate, concave, subplicate, 

 the apex abruptly piliferous, the pllum often recurved, the margins entire or subserrate 

 scarcely recurved at the base ; the base somewhat uari'owed and rounded, the angles 

 excavated; cells narrow and nearly straight and uniform except at the very base where 

 they are shorter and slightly inflated (oval or roundish), ])ut nol more pellucid. — -The 

 retk-ulation of the subplicate leaf suggests a C'diiiptothcctwn, the pilum at the apex is 

 much as in En rrJtyncMum pilifeni in , while the general habit of the plant is JiJiyiiclmste- 

 (jvivh 



~^ The April Flor.\ ok Cedar Keys, Fla. — Entering a new country the change 

 brings to view mucli that is novel, interesting and instructive to an observing mind- 

 Leaving with the setting sun the rolling upland country and passing through the low- 

 lands of pine and hummock, we reached at night the west coast at Cedar Keys. In the 

 morning a varied scenery presented itself. From the center of a V-group of keys, 

 twenty or Iliirty in number, extended to my right the wide expanse of the Great Gulf 

 of Mexico, and to my left the low line t>f i)ines defining the distant shores of the main- 

 land imtil lost in the misty horizon. Of these keys or islands some are small, low and 

 fre(|U<!ntly inundated by the tidal wave. Such yield invariably Acicennin to/nentosa, 

 Jacq., known as the Bhick Mangrove, Borrichvi frntesre/is, DC, Snlicorniafntticom, 

 L., var. (//«/>/(/*(a, Gi'., and little else save beds of a small bivalve known here as the 

 "coon oyster." The more elevated islands, traversed by sand ridges, knolls and shell 

 mounds, contain a flora usually rich in species; and notably prominent appear dense 

 shrubbery and dwiirfed trees of which Qnrrrns (K/utif/ra, Catesb., and Pciiok Catedii/Ktiti , 

 are extremely abiuidant. 



The backwardness of the vegetation, the damp atmosphere and llie rough sea ar 

 tiiis season occasioned by tiie continvu'd strong sea breezes, and tlie uninviting appear- 

 ance of the village with its legitimate ratio of the colored race, would have ottered no 

 iiKiuicineni to a prolonged stay. The desire, however, for mail communication from 

 liie North caused me to remain for a time, and meanwhile devote my attention to a 

 careful study of tlie vegetation of the Keys and accessible shores of the mainland. 



In the streets of the town and along the railroad occurred in great abundance 

 Sithi lilthdifdlia, var. uristuxd, DC., and Ktipnlata, Cav., and Abvtihm Ainrennff, Ga'rtn., 

 with red flowers. A\so Eaphorhid heterop/ii/llc, L., Quki'ii orciiJcittdlis, L. und </htiifi/fi>. 

 I ill. L., the last two so often seen subsequently in the side streets and alley-ways of old 

 .;l towns and villages. An aged citizen of Tam])a informed me that many years ago these 

 species of ("assia were introduced there as coft'ee i)lants but soon tbund tlieir way 

 among the other weeds in the waste grounds. 



Tlie botany of the larger Keys was interesting because of the variety of the vegeta- 

 tion appearing in small circum.scribed areas, and frequently each Key yielding species 

 not observed upon the others. Lacking proper boat facilities, the only means of access 

 to these coast islands, I depended upon the bateau for the near Keys and chance oppor- 

 tunities to reach the distant ones. To the North Key, one of the largest, most distant 

 and interesting I was taken through the kindness of Capt. Mcllvaine who was in 

 search of floating timber; and during his day's work around the island, left me to the 

 study of its vegetation which engaged my time both pleasantly and profitably. Among 

 the more interesting finds hei'e were M<iytenus phyllauthoifJes, Benth., Sapiadi/x mar- 

 f/t'rmtKx, Willd., Prniius (hridintatta, Ait., Forcstit'ni poridoKn ? Poir., Passiforii xiihrr- 

 iisii, L., Psychotrid iiiiihitd, Jaccj., Pliiii/lxii/d urande/is.L., Bic/'tui Jminilix, L., Sdrrdxteinmd 

 rrdssif(>//inii, Decaisne, RhynrhdKpdrd ineiinlocarpd. Gray, and Stendtdphru}ii AineririDt- 

 iini, Schrank. To the citizens each Key is known by a specific name while the word 

 Cedar distinguishes the grouj). This generic term led me to form a mental picture of 

 islands covered with Cedar, but (piite contrary to my expectation, the Cedar Wood, 



