311 [ 174 ] 





NOTE CONCERNING THE PLANTS COLLECTED IN THE SECOND EXPEDI- 

 TION OF CAPTAIN FREMONT. 



When Captain Fremont set out on his second expedition, he was well provided with paper and 

 other means for making extensive botanical collections; and it was understood that, on his return, 

 we should, conjointly, prepare a full account of his plants, to be appended to his report. About 

 1,400 species were collected, many of them in regions not Uffore explored by any botanist. In 

 consequence, however, of the great length of the journey, and the numerous accidents to which 

 the party were exposed, but especially owing to the dreadful flood of the Kansas, which deluged the 

 borders of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, more than half of his specimens were ruined before 

 he reached the borders of civilization. Even the portion saved was gTeatly damaged; so that, in 

 many instances, it has been extremely difficult to determine the plants. As there was not suffi- 

 cient time before the publication of Captain Fremont's report for the proper study of the remains of 

 his collection, it has been deemed advisable to reserve the greater part of them to incorporate with 

 the plants which we expect he will bring with him on returning from his third expedition, upon 

 which he has just set out. 



The loss sustained by Captain Fremont, and, I may say, by the botanical world, will, we trust, 

 be partly made up the present and next seasons, as much of the same country will be passed over 

 again, and some new regions explored. Arrangements have also been made, by which the botanical 

 collections will be preserved, at least from the destructive effects of water; and a person accompa- 

 nies the expedition, who is to make drawings of all the most interesting plants. Particular atten- 

 tion will be given to the forest trees and the vegetable productions that are useful in the arts, or that 

 are employed for food or medicine. 



JOHN TORREY. 



Descriptions of some new genera and species of plants, collected in Cap- 

 tain J. C. Fremont's exploring expedition to Oregon and North Call- 

 .fornia, in the years lS43-'44: By John Torrey and J. C. Fremont. 



Cleomella (?) obtusifolia. Torr. and Frem. 



Branching from the base, and diffuse ; leaflets cuneate-obovate, obtuse 5 

 style filiform. 



Annual, stem smooth, the branches spreading, about a span long, hairy 

 in the axils. Leaves, or petioles, an inch or more in length ; the lamina of 

 the leaflets 4 — 6 lines long, apiculate with a deciduous bristle, nearly smooth 

 above, sparsely strigose underneath. Pedicels solitary and axillary, in the 

 upper part of the branches, longer than the petioles. Calyx much shorter 

 than the corolla ; the sepals lacerately 3 — 5-toothed. Petals yellow, oblong- 

 lanceolate, obtuse, about 3 lines in length. Stamens 6, unequal, a little 

 exserted : anthers linear-oblong, recurved when old. Torus hemispherical. 

 Ovary on a long slender stipe, obovate ; style longer than the ovary. 



On the American fork of the Sacramento river ; March. The specimens 

 are not in fruit, so that we cannot be certain as to the genus ; but it seems 

 to be a Cleomella. 



