Account of an Excursion to Mount Katahdin. 23 
ivory berry, Gaultheria hispidula of Linneus, of which Dr. Torrey 
has made a new genus ; Linnea borealis, Streptopus roseus, S. dis- 
tortus, Convallaria umbellulata, Panax quinquifolium, Coptis tri- 
foliata, Tiarella cordifolia, Mitella prostrata ; and the following 
ferns, &c. were seen in fruit, viz.: Polypodium dryopteris, P. con- 
nectile, Adiantum pedatum, Struthiopteris Pennsylvanica, great 
quantities of Pteris aquilina; also Lycopodium clavatum, L. com- 
planatum, L. obscurum, and L. lucidulum. 
On the shore of the river I noticed the following plants growing 
abundantly, viz. : Ranunculus repens, Campanula rotundifolia, Sa- 
gittaria sagittifolia, and Mimulus ringens ; also a very large speci- 
men of Orchis dilatata. 
We lost our way near Salmon stream, but after considerable labor 
effected a passage through the tangled bushes to the mouth of this 
creek, which we forded; after which we soon reached the first set- 
tlement above Matawamkeag Point, on this side of the river. 
Here we found a log cabin occupied by a family of Howards, who 
gave us a good supper and tolerable accommodations for the night. 
The Indian name of the settlement is Nickatow ; its distance from 
‘the Point” is about ten miles. 
Wednesday, Aug. 10th.—This morning we proceeded to the next 
log hut on the same side of the river, and there crossed in. a boat to 
the opposite side. I was much pleased by finding directly on land- 
ing great abundance of Swertia deflexa; I am not aware that this 
plant has been previously noticed as growing in New England. ‘This 
locality is on the right bank of the Penobscot, just below the mouth 
of the East Branch, latitude about 45° 25’. The corolla of this 
plant is generally described as greenish yellow; I found, however, 
that before the ripening of the seed the corolla was dark blue, dark- 
est on the spurs and shaded with green as in several of the Gentian 
tribe. The corolla does not become greenish yellow until the cap- 
sule has nearly ripened ; but gradually increases in size and changes 
its hue until it finally withers, still adhering to the base of the ripened 
capsule. The latter when ripe is membranous, beaked, and splits 
half way to the base into two valves. In Dr. Beck’s Botany I ob- 
serve the remark, that this plant in drying turns black ; this has not 
happened to my specimens, which retain their original color even 
better than is usual with dry plants. Our path lay next on the right 
bank of the river, and was fully as difficult as the one we had travel- 
Jed upon the previous day. After going about six miles we arrived 
