THE BEAUTY OF OUR INDIGENOUS PLANTS. 



455 



few years, and sells at a high price, while 

 the former has been growing among us 

 ever since the creation, the one has been 

 seen and bought by hundreds who perhaps 

 never even heard the name of the other. 

 Nor is this by any means a solitary case ; 

 for where shall we find, among hardy per- 

 petnals or annuals, of any country, more 

 beautiful plants than the Asciepias tuberosa, 

 Cypripedium spcctabile, the Habenaria gran- 

 diflora, or the Lobelia cardinalis ; and yet, in 

 how few gardens are any of these to be seen. 

 In foreign countries, these, and scores of 

 other American flowers, of which cultiva- 

 tors in this country hardly know the names, 

 are esteemed as among the choicest beau- 

 ties of the garden. 



I am aware that whatever is common and 

 easily obtained, is generally esteemed of 

 little beauty or value ; and yet I have no 

 doubt, that were the beauties of our fields 

 more generally known and cultivated, they 

 would rise in fashionable esteem, not only 

 on their own account, but because they are 

 the products of our own country ; for cer- 

 tainly, we indulge feelings of natural pride 

 on subjects far less worthy than the floral 

 gifts of our woods and barrens. 



In addition to the pleasure which every 

 one feels in watching the growth and flow- 

 ering of plants, which he has redeemed 

 from the woods, there are several other 

 considerations by which the value of such 

 specimens is enhanced. One is, the amuse- 

 ment to be derived at the perplexity of cer- 

 tain persons, (who professed to have all the 

 floral beauties in market,) at beholding, for 

 the first time, such splendid flowers as the 

 Fringed Orchis — (Habernaria ciliata,) or 

 the Painted Moccasin flower — (Cypripedi- 

 um spectabile ;) and especially on being told 

 that they came from our own swamps. 



The list of which I spoke at first, of in- 

 digenous plants, from the woods, swamps 



and barrens, which I have collected and 

 value highly, is a follows : 



Acorus calamus, 

 Acer striatum, 



moiitiinum, 



Arialolochia ripho, 

 Apocynum cannabium, 

 Aquilegia canadensis, 

 Aclaea rubra, 



alba, 



Asciepias luberosa, 



phyiolaccoides, 



Arbutus uva ursi, 



Aster .spectabahs, 



laevis, 



Asarum canadensis, 

 Coptis trifolia, 

 Caltha palustris, 

 Cornus florida, 



canadensis, 



Clematis virginica, 

 Convallaria racemosa, 

 Clethra alnifolia, 

 Ceanothus americana, 

 Cypripedium acaule, 



flava. 



spectabalis, 



Dirca palustris, 

 Diascoria villosa, 

 Epilobium spicalum, 

 Equiselum hyemale, 

 Gentiana saponaria. 

 Gerardia flava, 



pedicularis, 



Hamamelis virginica, 

 Habenaria grandiflora, 

 Hepatica triloba, 

 Kalmialatifolia, 



angustitolia, 



Lilium cauadense, 



philadelpliicum, 



Lysamachia quadrilblia, 



Lyaamachia ciliata. 

 Ludwegia ahernifolia, 

 Lobelia cardinalis, 

 Liatria acarioea, 

 Leptandria virginica, 



Lye; Klium palmaluin, 

 .Miiiiulus vingens, 

 Myricacerifira. 

 Neottia pubescens, 

 Nymphica odorata, 

 ( temunda vegalia, 

 Prinos verticillatus, 

 Pyrola rotuudiiolia, 



maculata, 



Prenanthus alba, 

 Phodora canadensis, 

 Pyrus arliutifolia, 

 Rhododendron viscosa, 



nudil'olia, 



Salix conifera, 

 Stapliylea trilolia, 

 Spireaalba, 

 Sarracenia purpura, 

 Sagilcria sagittifolia, 

 Solidago odora, 

 Typha latifolia, 

 Thalictrum dioicum, 



cnrynellum, 



Triosteum perfoliatum, 

 Trillium grandifloruni, 

 Tephrosia virginica, 

 Verbascum blatteria, 

 Viola pedata, 



rotundifolia. 



Viburnum aceriiblium, 



dentalum, 



Vicia cracca, 

 Dodecatheon media, 



purple, 



while. 



Another gratification, especially to the 

 botanist, is, that he can now see, from day 

 to day, what changes take place in plants 

 ' which he has only seen, perhaps, when in 

 full flower in the woods. He can witness 

 the changes in size and beauty which culti- 

 vation often produces. In this respect, he 

 will sometimes notice curious and interest- 

 ing facts, of which he must have remained 

 ignorant, or which would not have occurred, 

 had the plants not been taken from their 

 native soil. Thus the Eqitisetum hyetnale, 

 after rising above the ground, increases, not 

 in diameter, but only in height. The Salix 

 conifera, when cultivated, no longer produ- 

 ces its characteristic cones, &c. Yours 

 truly, J. L. Comstock. 



Hartford, March 5, 1650. 



Remarks. — There is a great deal of good 

 sense as well as patriotism in Dr. Com- 

 stock's remarks. They contain another il- 



