94 



SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. 



SIMARUBE^. 



from the valley of the lower Rio Grande in Texas soutliTOid through northern Mexico to the neighbor- 

 hood of San Luis Potosi, and to the plains near the Altar River in Sonora/ 



Koeherlinia S2nnosa^yas discovered in Mexico by Karwinsky,- a Bavarian naturalist^ about 1830, 

 and in Texas by Mr. Charles Wright' in 1848. 



1 C. G. Pringlc. 



2 "Wilbelm Preiherr Karwiusky von Karwin (1778-185-1) vis- 

 ited Mexico in 182C, renialniug for five years in the province of 

 Oaxaca, and again in 1840. He made many interesting discoveries, 

 and introduced many plants, especially of the Cactus family, into 

 European gardens. Earwmskia, a genus of Rhamnacece, established 

 by Zuccarmi, and represented by half a dozen shrubs of Mexico, 

 Texas, and California, preserves his memory. 



3 Charles "Wright (1811-188G) ; born at Wethersfield, Connecti- 

 cut, a graduate of Yale College in 1835, and one of the most assid- 

 uous, industrious, and successful botanical collectors, Wright 

 moved to Texas in 1837, establishing himself there as a land-sur- 

 veyor and school-teacher, but devoting much time to botanical study 

 and collecting. He visited the Rio Grande in 1847, and in 1849 

 accompanied a small body of United States troops on an expedition 



from San Antonio to El Paso. The discoveries he made on this 

 journey were published by Gray in his Plant(E Wrightiancs. Two 

 years later he was attached as botanist to one of the parties of the 

 United States and Mexican Boundary Survey. In 1852 lie was 

 appointed botanist of the North Pacific Exploring Expedition, the 

 duties of this position engaging him during nearly three years ; 

 while from 1856 to ISGH he was actively employed in the botanical 

 exploration of the island of Cuba. In 1871 he undertook his last 

 long journey, going to San Domingo as a member of a government 

 exploring party, Wright discovered large numbers of new plants 

 in the different parts of the world which he visited, and none of his 

 contemporaries did more to make known the peculiar flora of the 

 region along the southern boundary of the United States. Carlo- 

 wrightidf an Acanthaeeous genus of his discovery established by 

 Gray, commemorates his services to science. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 



Plate XL. Koeberlinia spixosa. 



1, A branch showing the new growth and leaves, natural size. 

 2- A flowering branchy natural size- 

 s' A leaf, enlarged, 



4. Diagram of a flower- 



5. A fiower, enlarged. 



6. Vertical section of a flower, enlarged, 



7. A fruiting branch, natural size, 



8. Vertical section of a fruitj showing the seed, enlarged,. 



9. Cross section of a fruit, enlarged- 

 10- Vertical section of a seed, enlarged- 

 11. An embryo, much enlarged. 



