208 Correspondence of the Cincinnatus. [May, 



American botany. Formerly cultivated for ornament, it is now ex- 

 tensively naturalized. For this diagnosis I am indebted to Prof. 

 Pond and Dr. Feay, two excellent young botanists of Savannah 

 whose favors I am most happy to acknowledge. On every side I 

 viewed the blue violets (Viola cucullata and the variety palmata ) 

 and the white V. primulacfolia. The Liquidambar, very common in 

 Southern forests, was now developing its unsij,htly anunts, and the 

 Cypress just shooting its frail leaves. Returning, I gathered in the 

 streets some Sysimbrium canescens, with disected leaves and minute 

 yellow flowers, and the budget of this day was complete. 



On Tuesday I walked again in company with Dr. Feay and Prof- 

 Pond, a few hours, after their professional labors in school were past; 

 but Wednesday witnessed an all-day excursion in company with the 

 former gentleman, to whom every locality within twenty miles of the 

 city was familiar. Now, with lunch duly provided, we struck off in 

 the forests to the North-west, along a solitary wood-road. The sun 

 beamed warmly upon us and the woods were vocal with the birds. 

 The path was bordered by a little prostrate plant with radical leaves 

 and sessile golden head of flowers of the Composite order, chrysog- 

 onum Virginianum. The sweet little Hedyotis rotundifolia (similar 

 but inferior to our Epigea repens ) was common as well as H. patens 

 ( much smaller and bluer than our H. c<erulea). In the dry path 

 Sagina procumbens, one inch high, appeared, as well as Linaria Can- 

 adensis and Plantago pusilla. At length we lost the path, and roam- 

 ed the wilderness at large. Scarcely any trees were yet in bloom, 

 but my companion readily pointed, out to me, by the bark and 

 branching, Bumilia lanuginosa and B. tenax, trees never seen in 

 Ohio. Also Ilopeatinctoria. Occasionally a familiar beech appear- 

 ed, and in flower. But what surprised me particularly was to find 

 here in the depths of these Southern woods a fine tall specimen of 

 Anulanchier Botryapiuni — the veritable shad-bush of New Eng- 

 land ! \vhose abundant white blossoms were the earliest admiration 

 of my youth, and signal for the shad to ascend the Connecticut ! — 

 This tree had now past flower, and I was indebted to Dr. F. for its 

 recognition. And now we had reached a Cyprus swamp, so charc- 

 teristic of Carolina and Greorgia. Here were many specimens of 

 that noble tree, some a hundred feet high. The trunk, at base is a 

 pyramid and from the enormous roots beneath the ground, multi- 

 tudes of conical excresences arise to a hight equal to that of high 

 water. Some were two or three, or four feet high, having no leaf or 



