Bare Plants found in Minnesota — Leiherg. 37 



ical values — namely: 1, agricultural botany; 2, medical botany j 

 and 3, artistical botany; or the history of those plants which are 

 employed, or afford material in the process of the arts of man- 

 ufacturers. The medical branch has been treated of with some- 

 thing like system; the other two divisions with less frequency and 

 less method. ♦ * * The botany of the arts, whenever under- 

 taken, will afford a highly interesting theme for some future lab- 

 orer in this elegant department of natural history''. 

 Preface to the first edition — pp. //. or XI. 



[Paper B,^ 



Notes on some of the rarer plants found in blue earth anit 

 pipestone counties, minnesota, during the summer of 1882, 

 —John Leiherg. 



Among the many rare and interesting plants found during 

 the summer of '82 in Blue Earth and Pipestone counties, a few de- 

 serve especial mention from the fact that no other observer has 

 as yet recorded their occurrence in Minnesota. 



The first and possibly the most interesting is the Buffalo 

 grass, Buchloe dactyloides, Engelni. This grass was found in 

 abundance upon the rocky ledges that come to the surface near 

 Pipestone City. Associated with this grass were two species of 

 cacti, opuntia missouriensis and fragilis. To the occurrence of 

 these two species of cacti is no doubt to be attributed the survival 

 of the buft'alo grass at this place, which, but for the protecting 

 power of the long and sharp spines with which these cacti are 

 armed, would long since have been stamped out by cattle. It is 

 very remarkable that this grass should occur so far to the north- 

 east, and it is a question if this station be not the farthest north- 

 east point reached by it. It is hardly possible that it is a native 

 of this place, more probable would be the supposition that to the 

 Indians from the western plains who have come here to quarry 

 the pipestone its introduction is due. Here and there growing in 

 the hollows and fissures of the ledge we find Beckmannia eruccae- 

 formis,Host. A cnrious grass with the general appearance of a pas- 

 palum, also a native of the plains. Growing very sparingly on the 

 dryest and rockiest spots we find another rather rare grass, lep* 

 turns paniculatus. This grass is generally associated with salines 



