50 ESS A YS. 



in the rich open woods of the Bluff Mountain, and in similar 

 places further south. The flowers are pure white or cream- 

 color, in a dense and very showy raceme, at length changing 

 to green. The cattle which roam in the woods for a great 

 part of the year are sometimes poisoned by feeding, as is sup- 

 posed, on the foliage of this plant during the autumn : hence 

 its name of " Fall-poison." The wild Pea-vine, which is so 

 highly prized as an autumnal feed for cattle, is the Amphi- 

 carpaea. 1 The Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis), 

 which we occasionally met with in fruit, appears to be identi- 

 cal with the European plant. It extends from the mountains 

 of Virginia to Georgia, where it was long ago noticed by the 

 younger Bartram. We also collected a handsome Phlox, of 

 frequent occurrence in rich woods, which differs from P. 

 Carolina (with which it has perhaps been confounded) in its 

 perfectly smooth stem, and broader, less pointed calyx-teeth. 

 The leaves are sometimes an inch in width, and four or five 

 in length ; the uppermost often ovate-lanceolate, and more or 

 less cordate at the base. 



A species of Carex, nearly allied to C gracillirna, occurs 

 in the greatest abundance on all the higher mountains of 

 North Carolina, forming tufts on the earth or on rocks, and 

 flowering throughout the summer. On this account it is 

 called C aestivalis by Mr. Curtis, who discovered it several 

 years since, and pointed out its characters. 2 We also met 



1 In the large woods the surface of the soil is covered with a species of 

 wild peas, which rise three feet above the earth, and of which the cattle 

 are very greedy. They prefer this pasture to every other, and when re- 

 moved from it they fall away, or make their escape to return to it." 

 (Michaux, F. A., Travels, p. 316.) 



2 C. cestivalis (M. A. Curtis, ined.) : spicis 3-5 gracilibus laxifloris 

 suberectis, infirma pedunculata, ceteris subsessilihus, suprema androgyna 

 inferne mascula, bracteis inferioribus foliaceis vix vaginantibus supe- 

 rioribus setaceis, perigyniis ovoideis trigonis basi apiceque acutiusculis 

 obsolete nervosis glabris ore subintegro squamam ovatam obtusam (nunc 

 mucronatam) duplo superantibus, stigmatibus tribus, vaginis foliorum in- 

 feriorum pubescentibus. 



Hab. in montibus altioribus Carolinse Septentrionalis ubique. Julio- 

 Augusto floret. — C. gmcillimce nimis aft 'mis ; at diversa, culmis foliisque 

 gracilioribus, vaginis infirmis pubescentibus ; bracteis vix vaginantibus ; 



