BOTANICAL OBSERVATIONS IN WESTERN WYOMING. 
’ 
Number 1. 
Havine been connected with the exploring expedition of Captain 
W. A. Jones into Northwestern Wyoming during the past season 
(1873), the botanical results have proved of such unexpected in- 
terest that I have obtained the permission of Captain Jones to 
anticipate the more detailed official report by preparing for imme- 
diate publication a brief sketch of the general botanical features 
of the region passed over, with notices of rare plants and descrip- 
tions of new species collected on the route. 
Fort Bripcer to Camp Brown. Leaving the point of rendez- 
vous at Fort Bridger on the 12th of June, our route followed a 
northeasterly course over Green River basin, thence skirting along 
the southern spurs of the Wind River range. The main conti- 
nental divide was crossed at South Pass. From this point fol- 
lowing a more direct northerly course we reached Camp Brown 
in the Wind River valley on July 1st. 
The chief botanical interest on this portion of our route was 
comprised in the many suggestive associations with the early dis- 
coveries of Nuttall nearly forty years previous. Though this 
route has been repeatedly traversed by exploring parties, lying 
in fact on the well-beaten track of western emigrant travel pre- 
vious to the construction of the Pacific Railroad, not a few of the 
plants then collected and described have remained up to this 
time desiderata in herbar 
Unusually copious spring rains previous to our journey had 
freshened the vegetation of these usually arid tracts, so that our 
necessarily slow and tedious marches, encumbered by a heavily 
laden wagon train, were enlivened (at least to the botanist) by 
unwonted verdure. Even the repulsive *‘ sage plains” and ‘ grease 
wood” flats, so monotonous and forbidding to the ordinary trav- 
eller, yielded up unexpected treasures of rare plants. Among 
these the evanescent annuals were in great profusion, including 
Cleome aurea Hook., Calyptridium roseum S. Watson, Ginothera 
Andina Nutt., Gnothera scapoidea Nutt., Astragalus Geyeri Gray, 
Astragalus pictus Gray, Chenactis Douglasii H. & A., Plantago 
(9-10) 
