Botanical Excursion to the Mountains of North Carolina. 19 



and cool rivulets which we crossed every few minutes during our 

 ascent, were in many places covered by the prostrate or creeping 

 Hedyotis serpyllifolia, Torr. 6^ Gr. (Houstonia serpyllifolia, 

 Michx.^) which continues to flower sparingly throughout the sum- 

 mer. This pretty plant has quite the habit of Arenaria Balea- 

 rica ; and the root is certainly perennial. We found it very 

 abundant in similar situations, throughout this mountain region. 

 Towards the summit of this ridge, we first met with the Magno- 

 lia Fraserij (M. auriculata, Bartr.,) which resembles the Umbrel- 

 la-tree {Magnolia Umbrella,) in the disposition of its leaves at 

 the extremity of the branches. This, as well as M. acumi- 

 nata (the only other species of Magnolia that we observed,) 

 is occasionally termed Cucumber-tree ; but the people of the 

 country almost uniformly called the former Wahoo ; a name 

 which in the lower part of the Southern States is applied to 



HETEROTROPA. (Morr. et Decaisne.) 



Perigonium ventricosum, trilobatum, fere liberum. Stamina 12 : filamenta bre- 

 vissima vel subnulla, dllatata, ovario accreta : antheras (loculi lineares) extrorsae, 

 quandoque alternee subintrorsae ; connectivum muticum, vel appendice brevi auctum. 

 Ovarium basi imo perigonii tubo adnatum : styli 6, discreti, in appendicem bilo- 

 bum ultra stigmata extrorsa plus minus product!. (Herbse Japonic® et Boreali- 

 Americanae. Folia ssepius variegata.) 



§ 1. Perigonium urceolatum, fauce constricta. Stamina 6 stigmatibus opposita 

 jilamentis triangular ihus, anther is suhintr or sis ; 6 alterna sessilia, antheris extror- 

 sis. — Heterotropa, Morr, Sf Decaisne, in ann. sci. nat. (n. ser.) 2. p. 314. t. 10. 



1. H. ASARoiDES (Morr. ^ Decaisne, I. c.) : perigonii lobis late ovatis subcor- 

 datis patulis, staminibus 6 ad stigmata respondentibus appendieulo brevissimo re- 

 flexo, alternis ' appendieulo ovato erecto ovario affixo,' stylis obcordatis. — Asarum 

 Virginicum, Tliunb. fl. Jap. p. 190. 



§ 2. Perigonium, breviter trilobatum, fauce aperta. Stamina consimilia, Jila- 

 mentis brevissimis : anthera omnes extrorsa. — Homotropa. 



2. H. ARiFOLiA : perigonio tubuloso-urceolato limbo brevissimo, antheris appen- 

 dieulo brevi crasso superatis, alternis eodemque stigmatibus adhssrentibus, stylis 

 brevibus crassis cornibus ultra stigmata breviter aat vix productis, foliis hastato- 

 cordatis. — Asarum arifolium, Michx. ; Hook, exot.fl. 1. t. 40. 



3. H. ViRGiNicA : perigonio breviter ventricoso-campanulato, antheris muticis, 

 stylis ultra stigmata longe rostratis apice bifidis, foliis rotundato-cordatis glabris. — 

 Asarum Virginicum, Linn. 



The line of dehiscence of the cells of the alternate anthers in Heterotropa asa- 

 roidcs, is said to be nearly lateral, or slightly introrse; so that this character is not 

 strongly marked, and probably will not be deemed of sufficient consequence to 

 separate generically our two species from the Japanese plant. On the other hand, 

 if it should be thought inexpedient to divide a genus so well marked by habit as 

 Asarum, my two sections of Heterotropa would form subgenera of the former. 



