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16 Botanical Excursion to the Mountains of North Carolina. 
uriance. With these, the plant we collected entirely accords, 
except that the leaves are mostly smaller, and more deeply lobed; 
but this character is not constant.* Soon after leaving Natural 
Bridge, we observed indigenous trees of the Honey Locust, 
( Gleditschia triacanthos, ) also Aisculus Pavia ?. ne in cpomning 
valley of James River, we noticed the Papaw ( Uvaria triloba,) 
and Negundo. The road-side was almost sooner occupied 
with Verbesina Siegesbeckia, not yet in flower; and in many 
places with Melissa (Calamintha) Nepeta, achichs Mr. Bentham 
has not noticed as an American plant, although Pursh has it as a 
native of the country. It was, hawawers doubtless introduced 
from Europe, but is completely naturalized in the Valley of Vir- 
Suing te amemaeiane in North Carolina east: of the ain 
“On. Spode he 29th of Sites we Sans the New. River, 
arrived at Wytheville, or Wythe Court House, towards evening; 
and at Marion, or Smythe Court House, on the Middle Fork of 
the Holston, eny-be next -morning». The. vegetation. of this 
elevated region is almost entirely similar to that of th 
States. The only herbaceous plants we noticed as we a 
rapidly along, which we had not seen growing een rere G 
lax aphylla, and Silene Virginica: the showy deep red flowers 
of the latter, no less.than the different habitus, eaused us eae 
der how it could ever have been confounded with the Northern 
S. Pennsylvanica. The only forest-tree with which we were’ 
not previously familiar, was the large Buckeye, (A/sculus flava,) 
which abounds in this region, and attains the height of sixty to. 
ninety feet, and the diameter of two to three feet or more at the 
base. 
At Marion, we determined to leave the valley road, and to 
cross the mountains into Ashe county, North Carolina; the morn- 
ing was occupied in seeking a conveyance for this’ purpose: 
With considerable inane we at length procured a carry-all, 
* Mach to our eet we did not meet with Heuchera hispida, although 
I have since learned from an meetin of Barton's herbarium, that we passed 
within a moderate distance of the place where Pursh discovered it. The habitat 
given on the hangs ke a Se ee between Fincastle and the Sweet 
» and some Speer ag: aeseniee ire: ts. the emg is 
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