40 



SILVA OF NOBTII AMERICA. 



TERN STR (EMI ACE^. 



All the species bear handsome foliage and flowers, and are desirable ornamental plants. The 

 American G. Altamaha is perhaps the most commonly found in gardens. Q. rmomala has long been 

 cultivated under glass in Europe. 



The genus Gordonia, founded by Ellis ' on the American G. Lasiantlius, was named by Br. Alex- 

 ander Garden ' of Charleston, South CaroKna, in honor of Dr. James Gordon ^ of Aberdeen. This 

 honor was transferred, however, by Elhs to James Gordon,* a nurseryman at Mile End near London. 



white with a straw tint, even-grained and pleasant to work, and not 

 unlike beech ; it warps if not well seasoned," 



1 Johti Ellis (1710-1770), a London merchant, agent for West 

 Florida and for Dominica; a correspondent of Linnaeus, and the 

 anthor of the Natural History of Corallines^ and of several papers 

 on botany. 



^ Alexander Garden (1728-1791), a Scotch physician who resided 

 in Charleston, South Carolina, for thirty years from 1752 ; a corre- 

 spondent of LimiECus, Elhs, and Collinson. Dr. Garden returned 

 to England on the breaking out of the Kevolutionary "War, and 

 died in London. 



^ James Gordon, "a very ingenious and skillful physician and 



botiinist who first interested me in these studies, and tinctured my 

 mind very early with a relish for them." (Letter of Alexander 

 Garden, Smith, Correspondence o/Linnmus, I 378.) 



^ James Gordon (d. 1780), nurseryman (1750-1776) ; introduced 

 into England Ulmus Americana (1752), Sophora Japonica (1753), 

 and the Ginkgo (1751) ; he was '^bred under Lord Petre and Dr. 

 Sherard, and knows systematically all the plants he cultivates. He 

 has more knowledge in vegetation than all the gardeners and writ- 

 ers on gardening in England put together, but he is too modest to 

 publish anything," (Letter of John Ellis to LimiEeus. Smith, 

 Correspondence of Linnceus^ i, 93.) 



CONSPECTUS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES, 



Flowers long pedunculate ; filaments united into a tube ; capsule ovoid ; seeds furnished with 



a membranaceous wing; leaves evergreen , L G, Lasianthus- 



Flowers subsessile ; filaments distinct; capsule globose; seeds without wings ; leaves mem- 

 branaceous 2, G. Altamaha. 



