Botanical Excwsion to the Momitains of North Carolina. 43 



mit, where we found nothing that we had not already collected, 

 excepting Arenaria glabra, Michx., and descended partly by 

 way of the contiguous Yellow Mountain. 



Retracing our steps, we returned the next day to the foot of 

 Grandfather, and reached our quarters at Jefferson the second 

 day after. We had frequently been told of an antidote to 

 the bite of the Rattle-snake and Copper-head, (not unfrequent 

 throughout this region,) which is thought to possess wonderful 

 efficacy, called Turtnan''s Snake-root, after an ' Indian Doctor,' 

 who first employed it ; the plant was brought to us by a man 

 who was ready to attest its virtues from his personal knowledge, 

 and proved to be the Silene stellata ! Its use was suggested by 

 the markings of the root beneath the bark, in which these people 

 find a fancied resemblance to the skin of the Rattle-snake. Near- 

 ly all the reputed antidotes are equally inert ; such herbs as Im- 

 patiens pallida, &c. being sometimes employed ; so that we are 

 led to conclude that the bite of these reptiles is seldom fatal, or 

 even very dangerous, in these cooler portions of the coimtry. 



About the foot of the Roan and Grandfather, we obtained a 

 few specimens of Pycnanthemiim montanum, Michx. (Monar- 

 della, Benth.) just coming into blossom. Our plant accords with 

 Michaux's description, except that there are frequently two, or 

 even three axillary heads besides the terminal one. The flow- 

 ers have altogether the structure of Pycnanthemum,, and the up- 

 per lip of the corolla is entire ; so that it cannot belong to Mo- 

 nardella, although placed as the leading species of that genus. 



dentis solitarii vel aggregati. Baccse immaturae cseruleae, glaucse, limbo calycis 

 majusculo coronatas, decern- (nunc abortu quinque ?) loculares ; loculis pleio- 

 (3-6?) spermis. 



Prof. Dunal (in DC. -prodr. 7. p. 566,) notices as an extraordinary exception to 

 the character of Vaccinium, a species with an 8 to 10-celIed fruit and a single? 

 seed in each cell. The first-named character is not unfrequent in the genus ; sev- 

 eral of the more common species which I have cursorily examined, exhibit a more 

 or less completely 8-10-celled ovary, but with many ovules in each cell. There 

 is a small group, however, (Decach^na, Torr. &f Gr. incd.) presenting a differ- 

 ent structure, which is best exemplified in V. rcsinosum, Ait. The 10 carpels of this 

 species, enclosed in the baccate calyx, are very slightly coherent with each other, 

 and become crustaceous or bony nuts, each containing a single ascending seed. 

 The same is the case in what I take to be V. diimosum and V. hirtellum ; and 

 probably in some other species which have the leaves sprinkled with resinous 

 dots. V. frondosum, Willd. (which is the V. decamerocarpon of Dunal,) is sim- 

 ilar in structure, except that the carpels appear to be more coherent and less in- 

 durated. 



