BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON 93 



in his notes to have the 'f acies' or aspect of cactus, 

 and which he very properly referred to the class 

 and order of Icosandria monogynia — he names 

 this genus Bartonia. One of the species he calls 

 Bartonia superba and the other Bartonia poly- 

 petala. The former he found in flower in August 

 and September; growing all the way from the 

 river Platte to the Andes, on broken hills and the 

 clefts of rocks (Pursh adds, not, I fear, on the 

 best authority, ' and on volcanic soil ') . He speaks 

 of it as a plant (herba) about three feet high, 

 whose ' splendid flower expands only in the even- 

 ing, suddenly opening after remaining closed 

 during the day, and diffusing a most agreeable 

 odour.' It may justly rank (he adds) with the 

 most splendid plants of either America, and very 

 probably inhabits Mexico, if not South America. 



" The other species, Bartonia polypetala, he 

 describes as a perennial, growing on gravelly 

 hills, near the Grand Detour, and flowering in 

 August." 



Other honors besides floral ones held by Bar- 

 ton included membership of the Imperial Society 

 of Naturalists of Moscow; the Danish Royal 

 Society of Sciences ; The Linnaen Society of Lon- 

 don ; and the Society of Antiquaries, Scotland. 



The naming of the plants must have given 

 pleasure to the man who so willingly sojourned 

 with Nuttall. He spent his leisure during this 



