Botanical Excursion to the Mountains of North Carolina. 43 
mit, where we found nothing that we had not already collected, 
excepting Arenaria glabra, Michz., and descended partly by 
way of the contiguous Yellow Mountain. 
-Retracing our steps, we returned the next day to the foot of 
Grandfather, and reached our quarters at Jefferson the second 
day after. We had frequently been told of an antidote to 
the bite of the Rattle-snake and Copper-head, (not unfrequent 
4 throughout this nin which is thought to possess wonderful 
efficacy, called T'urman’s Snake-root, after an ‘Indian Doctor, 
who first employed it; the plant was brought to us by a man 
who was ready to ntseet its virtues from his personal knowledge, 
oe d proved to be the Silene stellata! Its use was suggested by 
| 2° i the markings of the root beneath the bark, in which these people 
find a fancied resemblance to the skin of the Rattle-snake. Near- 
ly all the reputed antidotes are equally inert ; such herbs as Im- 
patiens pallida, &c. being sometimes eroplayed:; so that we are 
_ led to conclude that the bite of these reptiles is seldom fatal, or 
even very dangerous, .in these cooler portions of the country. 
About the foot of the Roan and Grandfather, we obtained a 
> 4 della, Benth. ) just coming into blossom. Our plant accords with 
Michaux’s description, except that there are frequently two, or 
even:thiee axillary heads_ besides t the serminal one. The flow- 
ers have altogether the structure , and the up- 
eT ie a 
. per lip-of the corolla is entire ; “so that it eannot belong toMo- 
F ante nardella, although: placed as the, leading species of that genus. 
dentis solitarii vel aggregati “tend mmaturs. cer sh poe limbo ssa 
arc culo ed ocets: (nune abortu quinque ?) loculares ;. loculis pleio- 
2) spe 
Prof. Peised; i DC. prodr. 7. p. 566,) notices as an extraordinary exception to 
the character of Vaccinium, a species with an 8 to 10-celled fruit and a single? 
seed in each cell. The first-named character is not unfrequent in the genus ;, sev: 
eral of the more common species which I have cursorily examined, exhibit a more 
or less completely pa, ovary, but with many ovules in each cell. There 
is asmall group, however, (Decacuaya, Torr. & Gr, ined.) presenting a differ- 
ent structure, which 3 is best exemplified in V.resinosum, Ait. The 10 carpels of this 
enclosed i in the baccate calyx, are. very slightly eoherent with each other, 
Probably in. some senate which have the leaves sanelion with resinous 
dots. V. frondosum, oN Gunes pal page erocarpon of Dunal,) is sim- 
carpels appear to be more coherent cand less ins 
Sit “Bee eee 
