48 ERYTHRINA HERBACEA. DWARP^ CORAL PLANT. 



Barton, in his " Flora of North America," figures a specimen 

 which had been grown in Bartram's garden, and which he says 

 was near four feet in length. This is unusual. Double the 

 length of the one we have given in the plate is about the full 

 size in wild specimens. We have selected a small-sized one to 

 suit our page. The seed from which our plants were raised 

 came from Mississippi — but it is very scarce so far to the West. 

 It is more frequent as it approaches the sea-coast, and is gener- 

 ally found in open bushy places, or neglected sandy spots. The 

 individual flowers soon fall, but the spike is nearly a month 

 before all flowering is over. Torrey and Gray say the " corm " 

 is esculent, on the authority of Dr. Boykin ; and Dr. F. Peyre 

 Porcher quotes Dr. Mellichamp as authority for the fact that it 

 has valuable medical properties. 



Its native place of growth is limited to the portion of our ter- 

 ritory lying south of Georgia and South Carolina, and between 

 the Mississippi and the Atlantic Ocean. 



Explanations of the Plate. — i. Medium-sized flower spike, proceeding from the wood of 

 last year's growth. 2. Young growth of the barren shoots. 



