Account of an Excursion to Mount Katahdin. 23 



ivory berry, Gaultheria hispidula of Linnseus, of which Dr. Torrey 

 has made a new genus ; Linnaa horealis, Streptopus roseus, S. dis- 

 tortus, Convnllaria umbellulata, Panax quinquifolium, Coptis tri- 

 foliata, Tiarella cordifolia, Mitella prostrata ; and the following 

 ferns, &;c. were seen in fruit, viz. : Polypodium dryopteris, P. con- 

 nectile, Adiantum pedatum, Struthiopteris Pennsylvanica, great 

 quantities of Pteris aquitina ; also Lycopodium clavatum, L. com- 

 planatum, L. ohscurum, and L. lucidulum. 



On the shore of the river I noticed the following plants growing 

 abundantly, viz. : Ranunculus repens, Campanula rotundifolia, Sa- 

 gittaria sagitiifolia, and Mimulus ringens ; also a very large speci- 

 men of Orchis dilatata. 



We lost our way near Salmon stream, but after considerable labor 

 effected a passage through the tangled bushes to the mouth of this 

 creek, which we forded ; after which we soon reached the first set- 

 tlement above Matawamkeag Point, on this side of the river. 

 Here we found a log cabin occupied by a family of Howards, who 

 gave us a good supper and tolerable accommodations for the night. 

 The Indian name of the settlement is Nickatow ; its distance from 

 " the Point" is about ten miles. 



Wednesday, Aug. 10th. — This morning we proceeded to the next 

 log hut on the same side of the river, and there crossed in a boat to 

 the opposite side. I was much pleased by finding directly on land- 

 ing great abundance of Swertia dejiexa; I am not aware that this 

 plant has been previously noticed as growing in New England. This 

 locality is on the right bank of the Penobscot, just below the mouth 

 of the East Branch, latitude about 45° 25'. The corolla of this 

 plant is generally described as greenish yellow ; 1 found, however, 

 that before the ripening of the seed the corolla was dark blue, dark- 

 est on the spurs and shaded with green as in several of the Gentian 

 tribe. The corolla does not become greenish yellow until the cap- 

 sule has nearly ripened ; but gradually increases in size and changes 

 its hue until it finally withers, still adhering to the base of the ripened 

 capsule. The latter when ripe is membranous, beaked, and splits 

 half way to the base into two valves. In Dr. Beck's Botany I ob- 

 serve the remark, that this plant in drying turns black ; this has not 

 happened to my specimens, which retain their original color even 

 better than is usual with dry plants. Our path lay next on the right 

 bank of the river, and was fully as difficult as the one we had travel- 

 led upon the previous day. After going about six miles we arrived 



