232 HISTORY OF BOTAirr. 



fication, is that wliicli we have, with some modifications, intrc 

 duced into this work. 



S64:. lleferring to the infancy of Botany in the United States 

 we find the name of Bartrmn as that of the first native of onr 

 comitry who was conspicuous for botanical researches. Hous- 

 ton investigated the region of Canada and described many of 

 its plants ; in honor of him is named the little flower, Houstonia 

 ccemdia. Clayton mtide a list of Virginian plants, and is com- 

 memorated in the beautiful Claytonia virgmica. Kalm^ a 

 pupil of Linnaeus, whose name is given to the Kalmia (Ameri- 

 , can laurel), sj^ent three years in America, and returned to 

 Europe laden with botanical treasures ; the sight of the Amer- 

 ican plants brought by his pupil, many of which were entirely 

 new to him, is said to have produced such an efiect upon Lin- 

 naeus, that although lying ill of the gout, his spirits were re- 

 kindled, and in the delight of his mind he forgot his bodily 

 anguish and recovered from his disease. Among the earliest 

 botanists of North America, were Golden^ Michaux^ and Muhl- 

 enberg. PuTsh was the first who finished a system of North 

 American plants so arranged as to be useful to the student. 

 Some of the first teachers of the science were Barton.^ Hosack.^ 

 and Mitchell. The first public lecturer on botany, was Amos 

 Eaton, founder of the Eensselaer School at Troy, IST. Y. Dr. 

 Darlington has pursued the study of the plants of Pennsylvania 

 with zeal and success, and added much to the American 

 Flora. Eaton's Manual of Botany was followed by Nuttall's 

 Genera, Elliott's, Barton's, Darlington's, Torrey's, Bigelow's, 

 and Beck's Floras. To Gray and Torrey, Botany is indebted 

 for full and accurate descriptions of American plants. The 

 author of this volume would humbly acknowledge her grati- 

 tude to the Giver of all good for having in some degree been 

 made instrumental by means of her various works on the phys- 

 ical sciences, in diflusing a love for them and a habit of refer- 

 ring the works of nature to their Great Creator. 



364. American Botanists 



