226 Botanical Writings of Rafinesque. 



of London in 1810; and Monography of the genus Callitriche, 

 increased to sixteen species, sent in 1812 to the Linnaean Society. 



The two first named articles comprise nearly all that Rafinesque 

 published on North American botany previous to 1815, and con- 

 sequently anterior to Pursh; and justice to the author perhaps 

 requires that they should be noticed somewhat in detail. He 

 states that his first proposed work, to be entitled Nova Genera el 

 Species Plantarum Boreali-Americanum, will comprise, in addi- 

 tion to all the new genera and species discovered since the time of 

 Linnasus, the ten new genera which are indicated in the annexed 

 essay, [No. 2,] and fourteen more which he mentions as follows. 

 [The remarks in brackets are of course our own.] 



" Geanthia (colchicoides,) differs from Colchicum merely in the 

 number of the stamens, which are only three in Pennsylvania." 

 [There is little risk in asserting that no such plant exists in the 

 United States. The name again occurs in the list of twenty new 

 genera published in the Specchio delle Scienze, &c., which we 

 have not seen.] 



" Micrampelis [echinata,) differs from Momordica in the fruit, 

 which is inflated, muricated, 2-3 locular, 2-3 spermous ; in Penn- 

 sylvania." [We have in vain searched the subsequent works of 

 Rafinesque for any farther notice of this genus. Perhaps the 

 Echinocystis, Torr. & Or. was intended, but the fruit of that 

 plant has four seeds, two in each cell.] 



" Phemeranthus {teretifolius) is very similar to Talinimi, and 

 is known by some botanists under the name of Talinum teretifo- 

 lium. Penn. and Carol." 



" Merasperma [dichotoma, bif areata, cylindral., ^c.) belongs to 

 the tribe of Conferva, is tubular, inarticulated, with the seeds ad- 

 hering to the interior of the tubes. Pennsylvania, &c." [He 

 elsewhere calls this genus Mesasperma.] 



" Heterodon (bryoides,) small moss with peristome eight denta- 

 ted, dentatures unequal. It grows in the waters of New Jersey." 



" Leptuberia (amorpha,) small crustaceous lichen. Penn." 



" Heptaria {erecta, cuneata, i^c.,) very like to the Tremella." 



" Catenaria {arenaria, vagabunda, concatenata, c^c.,) interme- 

 diary between some ConfervcB and Fud. On the sea shores." 



" Alheropogon {apludoides,) genus of gramens, near akin to the 

 Apludo. I found it in Pennsylvania ; the name is of Willdenow 

 in MSS." 



