30 PROGRESS OF BOTANY 



native and naturalized, in the vicinity of Neivbcrn, Nortli Carolina, 

 by the lamented H. B. Croom, Esq. ;* Flora Cestriea, an attempt 

 to enumerate and describe the flowering and filieoid plants of 

 Chester County, Pennsylvania, by the writer of this sketch; A 

 Catalogue of Pluenogamous Plants and Ferns, growing in the 

 vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland, by W. E. A. Aikix, M.D. ; and 

 A Revision of the North American Melanthacece, by Dr. A. 



GrRAY. 



In 1838 was commenced, at New York, the publication of a 

 Flora of North America, according to the natural system, by those 

 distinguished botanists, John Torrey and Asa Gray, a work 

 which, unhappily, is at present in a state of suspense ; but which, 

 if duly completed, promises to excel all its predecessors, and will 

 undoubtedly for a long period, be the standard authority among 

 American botanists. 



In this year, also, a catalogue of plants found in the vicinity of 

 Milwaukie, Wisconsin Territory, was published by J. A. Lapham, 

 Esq., of that young western city. 



In 1840, appeared a catalogue of native and naturalized plants, 

 growing near Columbus, Ohio, by W. S. Sullivant, Esq. 



In 1841, Dr. A. Gray published, in the 40th volume of Silli- 

 man's Journal of Science, "Notices of European Herbaria, par- 

 ticularly those most interesting to the North American botanist." 

 This acceptable service he was enabled to perform, in consequence 

 of having devoted a year to the inspection of those herbaria, 

 examining the American specimens, and ascertaining exactly what 

 plants were intended, by the published names. It w T as a glorious 

 privilege for an accomplished botanist ; and was the only mode by 

 which a long-existing uncertainty, in regard to many species, could 

 be satisfactorily cleared up. The task, moreover, could not have 

 been entrusted to more competent hands ; and the Flora of North 

 America, whenever completed, will no doubt receive the full benefit 

 of the knowledge thus obtained. 



In 1842, a valuable Monograph of the North American Cus- 

 cutinece, was published in Silliman's Journal, by that acute ob- 

 server and able botanist, George Engelmann, M.D., of St. Louis, 

 Missouri. In the same year, also, Professor A. Gray, of Cam- 



* This estimable gentleman whose sad fate and premature loss the botanical 

 world has so much reason to deplore also prepared a valuable monograph of 

 the Sarracenias, which is published in the third volume of the Annals of the 

 New York Lyceum. 



