BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 43 



press of the South devoled a good deal of atlentiou to it, in most instances heralding 

 the aiipcaraiK'c of the plant, popularly called Jaixoicse CT^fvr, as a blessing, destined 

 to convert the barren pine hill and the waste, exhausted tields into rich pasture grounds, 

 and in that way supplying one of the greatest wants in the system of Southern agricul- 

 ture. By the kind information received lately of Mr. A. Berksman, of Augusta, Ga., I 

 learn that the i)lant made its appearance in the spring of 1807. The following season 

 (April, ISdS) I found it in abundance in the counties of Montgomery and Lowndes in 

 this State (Alabama) wlierever a closer and somewhat damper soil afforded to it its 

 proper habitat, gaining a iirm hold even among the thickly matted stolons of the Ber- 

 muila grass {Cy)iO(h>n Darfj/lon) covering the rich lowlands. I looked in vain for it 

 iluring that season in this vicinity. In September, 1809, a friend interested in the mat- 

 ter brought me the lirst specimens observed in the eastern suburbs of this city. In the 

 Ibllowing season it was found very common everywhere in the situations most suitable 

 to its growth, continuing with rapidity its progress towards the west, undoubtedly 

 reaching the eastern banks of the Mississippi soon after its arrival here. I have not 

 learned whether the plant has crossed that mighty river. East of it, it covers immense 

 areas, in many places crowding out almost completely the lierbaceous indigenous 

 ])lants, for'which the collector now searches in vain in the former habitats taken pos- 

 session of by the Asiatic intruder. As far as my personal knowledge goes the Lespe- 

 (Je.zii .striata extends nearly to the northern coutines of this State. I found it in 1873 

 abundantly in the northern i)arts of Blount County. It is to be presumed that it occu- 

 l)ies tiie same latitude in the adjoining States. One of the principal causes by which 

 the rapid spread of that plant has been effected, is certainly due to the transfer of the 

 herils of beef cattle following through the South the movements of the armies during 

 the war, and since that time to the increased traffic in live stock between the different 

 sections of the South. Watching its spread closely at its first appearance here, I found 

 almost invaiialily the plants starting from the decayed dioppings of cattle. The haid 

 seeds of the j)lant are voided with the excrements withoMt injury to their vitality, and 

 linding a medium rich in the elements for their sustenance the young plants developing 

 from it grow with the greatest vigor. 



(.'omi)aring the introduced plants observed here with those noticed by Mr. I. Mar- 

 tindale on the ballast grounds near Philadelphia, we meet the fact that there are certain 

 species, more than others, bearing the iiabits of cosmopolitan wanderers. Belonging 

 to (litVerent natural orders and coming trom zones of our globe sei)arated by wide dis- 

 tances and of different climes, they are noted as arrivals common to both of those 

 places on our coast, where they find themselves surrounded by the vast differences in 

 elimalic conditions due to the great one in their gegoraphical position. These plants 

 seem to lie endowed with a particular aptitude to accommodate themselves to their new 

 environments in which they have been accidentally placed and where they are exposed 

 to extremely different infiucnees. To illustrate this fact I will mention that amongst a 

 few of my ballast plants which 1 sent to Mr. Martindale for determination he found the 

 strange Pahiiiisiti r/srosa and the stately jV/ci/timni (/lnufii, ]n)\\\ oriental i)lants col- 

 lected by me on the ballast grounds at Pensacola, also growing on similar i)laces upon 

 the banks of the Delaware, as well as the Toiirnefortut hdiotropoides from the La Plata 

 States, found seemingly tirnily established near Montgomery, Ala , (April, 1808). Dip- 

 hitii.fi^ leiiin'j'oli.i and lliiinlniinnin h'lifi'jiniini of Soulhci'u Europe arc found as firmly 

 established there as in Pensacola or New Orleans; anil similar instances can be Ibniid 

 in comparing these notes with the interesting list ])iiblislied l)y Mr. .Martindale in 

 IS OS. 1 and 10, Vol. 2, of the I'jotanicai, (.tAZKT'I'k. 



The following plants from distant shores of the new and from the old world have 

 lieen observed by me in this region aiul specimens of them jireserved in my lierbarium, 

 if not otherwise stated: 



