10 NLU SYLVA 



Willows, Brambles, Currants, Vacciniums 4-0 

 are specifically distinct from their congeneric 

 kinds in Europe. The same fact appears in N. 

 W. America and Origon, where most are dis- 

 tinct from the Asiatic Species. In that region 

 the prevailing Genera are Salix, Populus, Abies, 

 Pinus, Ribes, Rubus, Yaccinium, Crategus, 

 Cactus, Primus, Qucrcus, Alter, Juniperus, 

 Fraxinus &c with but few peculiar Genera ; 

 but we lack as yet a proper account of all the 

 sylvan productions of that region, and even 

 many trees have not been described, much less 

 the shrubs and vines, which are very abund- 

 ant. 



Trees and shrubs may be known by their fo- 

 liage as well as flowers ; in fact they are thus 

 distinguished by Gardeners and the ignorant: 

 their blooming is generally very short, but the 

 seeds or fruits last longer, and are good indica- 

 tions of Genera. Even their bark and wood is 

 of use to discriminate them. It is always im- 

 portant to notice if the leaves are opposite or 

 alternate, distichal or spiral, simple or com- 

 pound, entire or jagged &c, since these pecu- 

 liarities of frondose habit almost always indi- 

 cate generic distinctions. 



The North American Mountains cradles of 

 our trees had been disguised by nicknames and 

 mistaken heights, generally estimated too low. 

 I shall restore and use throughout this work the 

 original names. Thus I call the highest by the 

 oldest name of OKIGON (which means hollow 

 noisy ground or Mts. Oligonunk in Linapi) 

 those misnamed rocky Mts. shining Mts. and 

 Chipewyan Mts. the snowy peaks of which rise 

 20 to 25 thousand feet. The Apalachian Mts. 

 are the Southern AUeghnnics, the highest be- 



