^t 



PLANTJl WRIGIITIAN^ TEXANO-NEO-MEXICAN^: 



AN ACCOUNT 



OF 



A COLLECTION OF PLANTS MADE BY CIIARLES AVRIGIIT, A. M., 



IN AN EXPEDITION FROM TEXAS TO EL PASO, iNEW MEXICO. IN TIIE 



SUMMER AND AUTUMN OF 1849. 



Mr. Charles Weight, •who has for several years past devotcd much attention to 

 the botany of Texas, retumed to Galveston from the North in thc spring of 1819, 

 and proceeded to San Antonio, purposing to avail himself of the opportunity 

 afforded by the movement of a body of United States troops from this place across 

 the country to El Paso, in Southern New Mexico, to investigate the natural history, 

 and especially the botany, of this hitherto untrodden region. A recommcndation 

 from the War Department, that all proper facilities should be furnished to Mr. 

 Wright, in furtherance of his arduous and cntirely 

 for him only the free transportation of his paper for preserving specimens, and 

 of the collections he was enabled to make. This flxvor he owes to the kindness 

 of Captain French, the quartermaster of thc expedition, to whom and to Major 

 Henry and Major Van Horn, Mr. Wright desires to express his thanks. The train 

 left the frontier settlemcnt of Castroville about the first of June, and reached Ei 

 Paso early in September. The remainder of that month was devoted to making 



scientific 



coUections in the vicinity of 



station. Finding that much time 



would necessarily be lost in passing the long winter in New Mexico, Mr. Wright 

 retraced his steps, and accompanied his rich collections back to Texas by the retum 

 train, leaving EI Paso in October, and reaching San Antonio late in November. 

 In returning he was enabled to add to his collection some species which had 

 escaped notice during the outward journey, or which were not thcn in season, as 

 well as largely to increase his collection of seeds, and of li\ang Cactaceous plants. 

 Specimens of tl^e latter have been placed in the hands of Dr. Engelmann, of St. 

 Louis, for examination. The seeds have been divided betwecn the Botanic Garden 

 of Harvard University, under my charge, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kcw, 

 under the direction of Sir Wm. Hookcr. 



A full set of the plants here enumerated or described is retained in my own 



VOL. Iir. GRAY, PL. WE. — 2. 



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