48 Catalogue of Plants 



from North Carolina amounted to 77,827 barrels. In the last 

 year, (1836) the amount exported from the state was not less 

 than 350,000 barrels of turpentine, besides 50,000 barrels of tar, 

 50,000 barrels of pitch and rosin, and 20,000 barrels of spirits 

 of turpentine. Of the pitch-pine lumber and plank large quan- 

 tities are exported to the West Indies and other parts. The 

 port of Wilmington alone has, for some years, exported, annu- 

 ally, not less than 60 millions of feet. This species extends 

 from the south-eastern part of Virginia into the peninsula of 

 Florida, occupying a large portion of the tertiary regions of the 

 Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, in such abundance 

 that the world, perhaps, might be supplied from its forests for 

 several ages. 



(52.) Pinus variabilis, Lambert, mon. Pin.=~P. mitis, Michx. 

 Arb. forest. 



(53.) Taxodium distichum, Richard. = Cuipress\is disticha, 

 Linn. " Bald Cypress," Lawson's Carolina, jp. 96. Elliott 

 expresses the opinion that the variety imbricarium of Nuttall, is 

 only this species, in a starved condition, as it is commonly 

 found in pine-barren ponds- But in some instances (20 miles 

 above New Bern) I have seen large trees of this variety, and, in 

 one instance, I observed it growing by the side of the common 

 variety, and in the same soil. 



(54.) Smilax Pseudo-China, Linn. "Bamboo. The root is 

 a round ball, which the Indians boil and eat." Lawson's Ca- 

 rolina, y. 101. This is the earliest mention, which I have seen, 

 of the Indian custom of using the roots of Smilax as an article 

 of food. Catesby also mentions it, and his figure (I. 52) seems 

 to represent Smilax tamnoides, Linn. It is now well known that 

 these roots become, in time of scarcity, an important article ©f 

 food to the Southern Indians, and it is probable that more than 

 one species may be used in this way. The Seminoles of Flo- 

 rida obtain from them, by maceration in water, t eir Coontit 

 chatta, or red meal, and from the roots of Zamia integrifolia, 

 they make their Coontie adka, or white meal, which have sub- 

 sisted them, in part, during their late campaigns. They eat also 

 the roots of Apios tuberosa. 



It is both interesting and curious to observe, that the last con- 

 test between the white men and the red, on this side the Missis- 



