28 Botanical Excursion to the Mountains of North Carolina, 



side, and appeared to be equally fertile. The Amianthium mus- 

 ccBtoxicum, which is common in the low country of the Southern 

 States, we here found only in the rich open woods of the Bluff 

 Mountain, and in similar places farther 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 supposed, 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 food for cattle, is the Amphicar- 

 pcea.* The Lily of the Valley, {Convallaria majalis,) which 

 we occasionally met with in fruit, appears to be identical with 

 the European plant. It extends from the mountains of Yirginia 

 to Georgia, where it was long ago noticed by the younger Bar- 

 tram. We also collected a handsome Phlox, of frequent occur- 

 rence 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. gracillima, 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. cestiva- 

 lis by Mr. Curtis, who discovered it several years since, and 

 pointed out its characters.! We also met with C. canescens, 



* " 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 jemoved from it they 

 fall away, or make their escape to return to it." — Michaux, (F. A.) Travels, p. 316. 



+ C. AESTIVALIS {M. A. Curtis, ined.) : spicis 3-5 gracilibus laxifloris suberec- 

 tis, infima pedunculata, ceeteris subsessilibus, suprema androgyna inferne mascula, 

 bracteis inferioribus foliaceis vix vaginantibus superioribus setaceis, perigyniis 

 ovoideis trigonis basi apiceque acutiusculis obsolete nervosis glabris ore subintegro 

 sqnamam ovatam obtusam (nunc mucronatam) duplo superantibus, stigmatibus 

 tribus, vaginis foliorum inferiorum pubescentibus. 



Hab. in montibus altioribus Carolinfc Septentrionalis ubique. Julio-Augusto 

 floret. — C. gracillima nimis affinis ; at diversa, culmis foliisque gracilioribus, vagi- 

 nis infimis pubescentibus ; bracteis vix vaginantibus ; spicis angustioribus et laxi- 

 floris erectis, superioribus brevissime pedunculatis ; acheniis oblongo-ovoideis ina- 

 gis stipitatis. 



