42 



by Mr. Nuttall, and among other interesting- matter, includes 

 the following new genera. 



Styphonia, an Anacardiaceons tree from California. 



Oreophila, a Celastraceoiis plant, named Ilex myrsinites 

 by Pursh, and Myginda myrtifoUa by Nuttall, DeCandolle, 

 and others. 



AsTROPHiA, a Leguminous plant from the Oregon, related 

 to Lathyrus and Orobus. 



HoMALOBUs, a Leguminous genus, composed of several 

 herbaceous species, with the habit of Phaca and nearly the 

 legumes of Vicia ; to this are referred the Phaca nigrescens of 

 Hooker, and Orobus dispar of Nuttall. 



Kentrophyta, consisting of tvvo Leguminous plants, from 

 the hills of the Platte, allied to the last. 



Chapmannia, another Leguminous plant, related to Stylo- 

 santhes on the one hand, and to Arachis on the other, found 

 at Tampa bay in East Florida. 



Among other things relating to species, it appears that 

 the Ceanothus azureus of our gardens, is not the plant so 

 named by Desfontaines, which came from Mexico, but the 

 C. thyrsijiorus of Eschscholtz, a Californian species. 



CLIMATE OF BRAZILIAN ORCHIDACEiE. 



" Although this is the summer season, the thermometer 

 has never been higher than 84*" in the shade at noon, — it 

 ranges from 68 to 75" and is seldom higher : but after a few 

 days continued rain, I have observed it as low as 62°. In the 

 winter season it sometimes descends to 32° during the night. 

 All the European vegetables grow pretty well, as also several 

 fruits, such as the apple, the fig, the grape, the olive, and 

 peach. The tea plant thrives well, but it is too cold for the 

 orange and the coffee ; the plants themselves grow luxuri- 

 antly, but their fruits do not come to perfection." — Extract 

 of a letter to George Wailes, Esq. of Newcastle, from Mr. 

 Gardner, dated January, 1837, and written amongst the 

 Organ Mountains, at an elevation of 3 iOO feet. 



HABITS OF BRAZILIAN PARASITES. 

 The destruction of a tree in these woods does not 

 lessen the abundance of vegetable life. On every blasted 

 stem which had lost its own bark and leaves, a crop of para- 

 sites had succeeded, and covered the naked wood with their 



