BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON 93 



in his notes to have the 'f acies' or aspect of cactus, 

 and which he very properly referred to the class 

 and order of Icosandria monogynia he names 

 this genus Bartonia. One of the species he calls 

 Bartonia superba and the other Bartonia poly- 

 petala. The former he found in flower in August 

 and September; growing all the way from the 

 river Platte to the Andes, on broken hills and the 

 clefts of rocks (Pursh adds, not, I fear, on the 

 best authority, ' and on volcanic soil ') . He speaks 

 of it as a plant (herba) about three feet high, 

 whose ' splendid flower expands only in the even- 

 ing, suddenly opening after remaining closed 

 during the day, and diffusing a most agreeable 

 odour.' It may justly rank (he adds) with the 

 most splendid plants of either America, and very 

 probably inhabits Mexico, if not South America. 



" The other species, Bartonia polypetala, he 

 describes as a perennial, growing on gravelly 

 hills, near the Grand Detour, and flowering in 

 August." 



Other honors besides floral ones held by Bar- 

 ton included membership of the Imperial Society 

 of Naturalists of Moscow; the Danish Royal 

 Society of Sciences ; The Linnaen Society of Lon- 

 don ; and the Society of Antiquaries, Scotland. 



The naming of the plants must have given 

 pleasure to the man who so willingly sojourned 

 with Nuttall. He spent his leisure during this 



