BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
interesting to the subscribers to Mr. Drum- 
mond’s Collections; since many of them, 
especially from the interior of Texas, prove 
identical with Mr. Nuttall’s discoveries in 
kansa: two countries not very remote 
from each other. Many new species are 
here described, and among the Grasses is 
a new genus, * GREENIA," dedicated, and 
most deservingly so, to B. D. Greene, Esq. 
. of Boston, U. S.; but the “ GREENEA” of 
Wight and Arnott, of the Order Rubiacee, 
published in the Prodromus Flore Penin- 
sule Indie Orientalis, has the right of 
priority. 1t is observed by Mr. Nuttall, 
that neither Symplocarpus, nor Orontium 
appear to the westward of the Alleghany 
mountains; and of the superb Cyamus lu- 
teus, (Nelumbium luteum, Wiild.,) he re- 
marks that, ** the Osages and other western 
natives, employ the roots of this plant, 
which is of common occurrence, for food, 
preparing them by boiling. In form the 
tubers resemble those of the Batata, or 
sweet potato, and are traversed internally 
by from five to eight longitudinal cavities. 
They are found to the depth of twelve to 
eighteen inches beneath the surface of the 
earth, and are connected by means of run- 
ning roots. The tubers arrive at maturity 
about the time that the seeds begin to 
ripen: before that period they abound with 
a milky juice, in common with the whole 
plant. When fully ripe, after considerable 
boiling, they become as farinaceous, agree- 
able, and wholesome a diet as the potato.” 
Two other valuable papers on American 
Botany are given by Mr. Nuttall, in the 
Seventh Volume of the Journal of the 
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadel- 
phia: the first entitled “ A Catalogue of a 
Collection of Plants ; made chiefly in the 
Valleys of the Rocky Mountains or North- 
ern Andes, towards the sources of the Co- 
lumbia River, by Mr. N. B. Wyeth.” The 
collection, Mr. Nuttall informs us, was made 
15 
Herbarium occurred. The number of the 
species, and their interest to the Botanist, 
will, therefore, be duly appreciated, and, 
particularly, when it is known that this was 
the first essay of the kind ever made by 
Mr. Wyeth; and yet I can safely say, that 
besides their number, (there being many 
duplicates,) they are the finest specimens, 
probably, that ever were brought from the 
distant and perilous regions of the West, 
by any American traveller.” This collec- 
tion is, indeed, an extremely important 
one, amounting to one hundred and thir- 
teen species, the majority of which are 
described as new: many of them, how- 
ever, will necessarily be found identical 
with the discoveries of Mr. mmond, 
and, more particularly, of Mr. Douglas, in 
the same district of country. Perfect 
flowering specimens of Lewisia rediviva 
were obtained, and a figure is given of it; 
but, it is deeply to be regretted, without 
any analysis of the parts of fructification: 
for it is made to constitute a new order of 
plants under the Flat-head-Indian name 
of SPÆTHALUMEÆ, the root being the’ 
Spetlum of the Sailish, or Flat-head 
Indians. 
It is, probably, the highly interesting 
character of this collection from the Rocky 
Mountains that has induced Mr. Nuttall 
himself to join an exploring party; and 
cross the continent of North America, to 
the shores of the Pacific, on the south side 
of the Columbia, than which a more in- 
teresting journey can scarcely be ima- 
gined. Of the particulars of the route, and 
the nature and success of the expedition 
he accompanied, I have been unable to 
learn any particulars, further than that a 
vessel sent round to meet them with stores, 
&c. had not arrived, on which account the 
