STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 36S 



Nutt., is abundant as we proceed westward, becoming a very con- 

 spicuous plant. Around the alkaline ponds grows a Nasturtium , 

 near N. sinuatum, Nutt. It may prove to be only a variety of this 

 species. 



Cleome integrifolia. Torr. & Gr., which is found here and there in 

 Minnesota as an introduced plant, is first met with in its indige- 

 nous state in Pyramid Park near the Little Missouri river. There 

 also, and nowhere else in the territory under consideration, Cleome 

 liitea. Hook., was observed. Polanisia graveolens, Raf., was fre- 

 quently noticed along the water-courses, differing somewhat from 

 its character in Minnesota, in having a more clammy pubescence 

 and longer and more turgid pods. 



Viola Nuttallii, Pursh, was met with abundantly, but does not 

 extend to any great distance west of the Missouri river, and was not 

 observed east of Jamestown. Viola cucullata, Ait., was not rare 

 in the region covered by the drift, but was confined to the borders 

 of the numerous small ponds. 



A Cerastium and two species oi Aretiaria, not determined, were 

 very common. One of the Arenarias was met with only on the 

 top of the buttes west of the Missouri, forming dense tufts, the 

 short stems closely covered with small rigid leaves giving it a spiny 

 appearance, 



A rather common and showy plant was Malvastrum, coccineian,. 

 Gray, the only one of the Malvacece seen. 



Two species ofLitium, L. rigidum, Pursh, and L.perenne, L., were 

 found. The latter grows very rank, with shOwy blue flowers, often 

 more than an inch in diameter. The seed-vessels were observed 

 later in the season, and were found to be nearly as large as in the 

 cultivated flax (L. usitatissimum, L.), with seeds about half as large» 

 of a shining dark brown color, and apparently containing a con- 

 siderable proportion of oil. The question arises, T^hether this 

 wild flax could be improved by cultivation so as to equal in fiber, if 

 not in oil, the L. usitatissimum. It is well worth experiment to 

 determine these points, more especially as it is a perennial, while 

 the cultivated flax is an annual. 



Polygala verticillata, L., and another species of which no pub- 

 lished description could be found, were frequently collected west of 

 the Missouri, extending into Montana. 



As might be expected, the Legnminosce were well represented,, 

 but a lack of authorities and published descriptions prevented full 

 and complete determinations of the many interesting species col- 

 lected. Fourteen species o{ Astragalus were observed, among them 



