1 16 Geographical Distribution of the Genus Allium. 



Woodsia hyperborea. August 7, 1821. Mountain. 

 Osrnundaregalis (flowering-fern). August 11, 1821. Wood beyond 

 Gregory's. 

 " interrupta. June 16, 1821. Papineau Woods. (0. 



Claytoniana.) 

 " cinnamomea. June 11, 1821. Mountain-swamp. 

 Botrychium gracile. June 25, 1821. Mountain (B. Virginicum.) 

 Lycopodiacece. 



Lycopodium dendroideum. June 16, 1821. Papineau Wood. 

 " clavatum (club-moss). July. Papineau Wood. 



" lucidulum. Oct. 3, 1821. Papineau Wood. 



11 complanatum. Woods north of Papineau Road. 



July 3. 



ARTICLE VII. — Geographical distribution of the Genus Allium 

 in British North America. By George Barnston, Esq. 



(Presented to the Natural History Society of Montreal.) 



In the October number of this journal enquiry was made 

 as to whether the onion may not be a native of the north or 

 north-western parts of America, and report was made of onions 

 (of course the garden onion) having been brought from a place 

 y'clept "Le Jardin du Diable," situated on the borders of Lake 

 Temiscamingue. The querist surmises, on such grounds, that the 

 onion may be indigenous in the North-west territory ; and 

 strengthens his views by a quotation from Sir Alex. McKenzie's 

 voyages, that on the banks of McKenzie's River "there was plenty 

 of wild onions." 



Premising, in the first place, that the voyageur understands 

 not exactly the onion of the gardens to be meant, when the term 

 " wild onions " or " oignons sauvages " is used, but any species of 

 the onion that may be met with in the different portions of the 

 country travelled through — in which general sense I have no 

 doubt it was employed by Sir Alex. McKenzie — I shall proceed 

 to shew, as far as can be determined from the labors of botanists 

 up to the present date, what are the various species of the genus 

 Allium that have been found on this continent, from the temperate 

 latitudes up to the frozen zone. I shall endeavour to group them 

 also, according to the different districts of country which the 

 species themselves seem to prefer, in hopes that thus a more distinct 

 idea may be formed of their geographical distribution. 



The two southern species of the Allium, well described by Gray, 

 are A. striatum and A. tricoccum. The former possesses long 

 linear leaves, striate on the back, with an obscurely triangled 



