Botanical Writings of Rafinesqiie. 235 



occupied.* The following have never been identified, viz. Dis- 

 covium, Leptmia, Flexularia, Anthipsimiis, and the five acoty- 

 ledonous genera. In the same year (1819,) he again published 

 three of these genera, viz. Cylactis, N emo'panthes , and Polaiii- 

 sia, in the first volume of the American Journal of Science, to 

 which he also contributed several short botanical and zoological, 

 or miscellaneous articles.f His botanical writings between the 

 years 1820 and 1830, inclusive, as far as we can ascertain them, 

 are the following, viz. 



Annals of Nature, or an Atmiial Synopsis of New Genera 

 and Species of Animals, Plants, 6lc., discovered iii North Amer- 

 ica, 1820, A pamphlet of sixteen pages, printed at Lexington, 

 Kentucky : it is chiefly occupied with zoology ; but it contains 

 brief characters of about fifty proposed species of plants, three or 

 four of which are possibly new ; but we can only vouch for a 

 single species of the number. The four new genera proposed, 

 are no better than the species.| 



* The worst are Cylactis (which is a Rubus,) Cyphorima (Lithospermum,) Endi- 

 plus? (Phacelia.) Dacistoma (Gerardia,) Dasanthera (founded on the figure and de- 

 scription of Pursh's Gerardia fimticosaz=Pentstemon,} JYeurosper7iia (Momordica,) 

 Delostylis (Trillium,) Critesion (Hordeum,) Trisiola (Uniola,) Torreya and Dis- 

 tymus (Cyperus,) Jlplostemoii (=Scirpus caespitosus and S. triqueter !) under which 

 two additional genera are proposed, viz. Diplarinus for the Scirpi with two stamens, 

 and Dichismus for those with two stigmas. 



t One of these articles is devoted a consideration of the natural affinities of 

 Flcerkea; which he considers as forming a small family along with Galenia!! 

 while JVectris, to which Pursh united it, is said to stand next to Mijriophyllum ! 



X Ilysanthes is probably Lindernia, incorrectly described. Peramibus is founded 

 on a genuine Rudbeckia. Hedychloe is Kyllingia pumila. The characters of the 

 two following genera we copy entire, for the edification of cryptogamic botanists : 

 the first is said to be a Fungus, the second an Alga. 



" JV. G. Anastomaria. — Fructification in flexuose lamellar veins, anastomosed 

 like a net. — This genus will be next to Merulius and Dedalea ; some species of 

 them may probably belong to it. — A. campanulata. Stipitatcd fulvous : stipe thick; 

 pericle campanulated ; netted outside, margin erose, insides scaly and dark spotted. 

 — This may be the type of the genus. Size, four or five inches. It grows in the 

 State of New York. — 1. dimidiata. Sessile, dimidiated, imbricated, wrinkled 

 above and fulvous with brown or black zones, netted beneath ; veins often bifid 

 near the margin. — Near Catskill, State of New York. It maybe the type of a sub- 

 genus, Cavipsilicus. 



" JV*. G. Stypnion. a floating gelatinous and floccose mass, easily divided and 

 homogeneous, without any perceptible filaments or organs. — A very singular genus, 

 next to my G. Potarcus. It differs from Conferva, which consists of five fixed fila- 

 ments, and Oscillatoria of interwoven articulated ones. I could not perceive any fila- 

 ments in it, perhaps a microscope might show some [! !] surrounded by a jelly. The 

 name means toio in Greek. — S. fluitans. Floating, elongated perpendicularly; 

 amorphous, floccose or lacerated ; of a dirty yellowish or brown color. — Very com- 



