234 



America Dr. Gray made a journey through the mountains of 

 North CaroHna, but did not succeed in rediscovering the plant, 

 in spite of which, however, he described and named it after Dr. 

 Short, in 1842. It was not until 1879 ^^at it was rediscovered, 

 and in the meantime not a few botanists had searched for it in 

 vain. The rediscovery was made by M. E. Hyams, in McDowell 

 County, North Carolina, but this station was soon exterminated. 

 In 1886, Professor C. S. Sargent and Mr. F. E. Boynton dis- 

 covered a new station for the plant on the headwaters of the 

 Keowee River, and in the spring of 1887 Mr. T. G. Harbison, 

 after a careful exploration of the region, found it in great abun- 

 dance in several localities in the Jocassee Valley and especially 

 along the Whitewater and Toxaway creeks in South Carolina. 

 In spite of its abundance in localities, its distribution is extremely 

 limited, and its ornamental value, which has made it one of the 

 important plants of American horticulture, might easily lead to 

 its extermination. As the plant is now common in nurseries and 

 can be obtained cheaply, it is probably not in immediate danger. 



The name of the plant, fittingly commemorative of the name 

 and botanical work of Dr. Short, unfortunately cannot be main- 

 tained, as there exists a previously named genus SJiortia, published 

 by Rafinesque, in an obscure publication, Autikon Botanicon, of 

 1840. Rafinesque bases his genus SJiortia upon Arabis doitata. 



Mr. W. L. Sherwood, of New York, has about 12,000 plants 

 of Shortia galacifolia growing upon his place at Highlands, 

 North Carolina, where Mr. Harbison is horticulturist. Mr. 

 Sherwood's unique and valuable library of botanical works has 

 been of considerable help to the writer upon many occasions, 

 and in renaming the genus it seems fitting to dedicate it to him. 



In addition to the present species, there exist three other mem- 

 bers of the genus in China and Japan. 



Sherwoodia nom. nov. 

 SJiortia Torr. & Gray, in Am. Journ. Sci. I. 42 : 48. 1842. — 

 II. 45: 402. 1868. Proc. Am. Acad. 8: 246. Syn. Fl. 

 N. Am. 2 : 53. 1878. 

 Not SJiortia Raf Autikon Botanikon 16. 1840. 



