86 THROUGH GLADE AND MEAD. 
white flowers from the midst of the thick dark foliage 
which lines the margin of the wooded swamp. 
What plant is this from the sunny south with 
petals dyed in bright purple? It is our one northern 
species of the one northern genus of the large tropical 
order Melastomacez. It is the meadow beauty (Rhexia 
Virginica, L.), fit associate for the yellow lily (Lelcem 
Canadense, L.), and the wood lily (Lilium Philadel- 
phicum, L.), and the yellow fringed orchis (Habenaria 
ciliaris, R. Br.), or whatever else is brightest and best 
among the July flowers. 
Another northern representative of a tropical order 
is the pipewort (Zriocaulon septangulare, With.), found 
quite abundant in the eastern United States and on the 
Isle of Skye and on the west coast of Ireland, and no- 
where else in Europe. It has an interesting connection 
with the history of botany. It fixed the destiny of 
Robert Brown, who, upon the completion of his medical 
studies, was attached as ensign and assistant to a Scotch 
militia regiment stationed in Connemara. This incon- 
spicuous plant, with which he then became acquainted, 
caused his life to be directed to the exclusive service of 
botany. Accompanying a recruiting party of his regi- 
ment to London in the summer of 1798, and visiting 
his friend, Dr. Withering, near Birmingham, he was in- 
duced to introduce himself to Dr. Dryander, librarian 
to Sir Joseph Banks, and to show him his researches 
