BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 57 



suggest to our friend who was so amused at "coniferous" for 

 "cruciferous" in Fringlca, that he might furnish us with entertainment 

 as well when it can be obtained out of an original article, as when 

 an Editor is tempted to do some careless stuffing. The Editor was 

 inundated by jokes, in the coniferous case, — but does not appear to 

 have had one drop of fun squeezed out for him when A. G. describes 

 the seed vessel of Leavemvort/iia stylosa as "two inches wide." We 

 shall have to ask for a new committee on comedy if our friend so 

 soon runs dry. — * 



Crat^gus tomentosa, L., var. punctata, Gr. —On the east 

 bank of Fish Creek, a few miles north of this place, there is a Haw- 

 thorn ( C tomentosa, var., punctata) which is quite as remarkable for 

 its size as some more celebrated big trees. The thorn divides near 

 the ground into four trunks. The largest trunk measures fourteen 

 inches in diameter four feet from the ground. The other divisions 

 are smaller, but as large as this variety usually grows, one being six 

 inches in diameter and the others less. The tree is about 20 ft. high. 



This variety of thorn is vt ry common here, and behaves like a 

 true species. — Erwin F. Smith, Hubbardston, Alich. 



Ipomcea pandurata. — The undersigned wants seeds of Tpomcea 

 pandurata, capable of germination, this spring, if any one has a few 

 on hand. — A. Gray. 



Winter Herborizations on Indian River, Florida. — During 

 January and February of the present year the writer, accompanied 

 by Dr. J. J. Brown, spent four weeks on Indian River in studying its 

 natural history and collecting whatever of interest offered. Our ob- 

 servations in that portion of Florida began at Sand Point — opposite 

 Cape Canaveral, latitude 28 deg. 30 min., and extended to Jupiter 

 Inlet, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles by our route. Indian 

 River so called, is more properly a vast lagoon, being connected with 

 the ocean by two inlets — one at Fort Capron and the other at Jupiter. 

 The width of this inland sea varies from two to five miles except at 

 the Indian River and Jupiter Narrows. For more than one hundred 

 miles merely a strip of sand from one hundred yards to half a mile 

 in width separates the lagoon from the Atlantic. This portion is 

 largely composed of sand beaches and low flats. The eastern shore 

 where depressed shows a dense growth of the red and black Man- 

 grove, while further back the Cabbage Palmetto {Sabal Palmetto) 

 grows solitary or in clumps. Occasionally rich hummock lands are 

 met with where may be found a number Of peculiarly southern and 

 sub-tropical species of trees and plants. In such places trailing vines 

 with ferns and mosses, fill up the back ground. The "Smilax" and 

 "Wait a bit" bid you halt ! The Cereus growing in long climbing 

 spikes frequently obstructs the path. The small area of pine barrens 

 and a narrow border next the ocean abound in Saw Palmetto {Sabal 



