66 



to make the collection valuable, not only for the purpose of obtain- 

 ing a succinct view of the inexhaustless resources of wealth derived 

 from the vegetable kingdom, scattered over the State, but to 

 offer to the young student of botany a scientific collection of authen- 

 tic specimens, which he may consult whenever any difficulty may 

 present itself in the determininatiou of plants, he may meet with in 

 his botanical excursions. 



When the list of plants, constituting the Flora of Louisiana, shall 

 be completed, it will afford considerable interest to the scientific 

 botanist, not only because it includes some few new species, but 

 more especially, because it furnishes him with new data to determ- 

 ine the range and geograpical distribution of plants. This is a sub- 

 ject which has not yet received, on account of the insufficiency of 

 information, the attention its importance seems to merit. 



To determine and classify nearly a thousand specimens of flower- 

 bearing plants, of mosses, lichens, ferns, algae and fungi, is a task 

 of considerable magnitude. A botanist who wishes to study the 

 stages of growth and development, as well as the specific character- 

 istics of the numerous individual plants embraced in the various 

 branches of botanical science, needs not only the assistance of an 

 extensive library, consisting of books written in different modern 

 languages, as well as Latin, but he must, in addition, have access to 

 collections of authentic specimens, placed at his disposal for consul- 

 tation and comparison. With all these advantages he would never- 

 theless encounter many difficulties, and meet with anomalies which 

 he would be unable to explain, without advising with scientific men 

 of long experience and established reputation. Although additional 

 books on botany have been supplied since my last report was writ- 

 ten, yet w r ant of time, and the insufficiency of standard works on 

 the cryptogamous plants of the Southern States, have compelled me 

 in many instances to apply to the scientific botanists of the United 

 States to lend me the aid of their experience in the determination of 

 many of the grasses and sedges, and a great number of the non- 

 flower bearing plants. I have corresponded with scientific men in 

 various parts of the country, and have everywhere received the most 

 cordial recognition. I consider it, therefore, a pleasing duty to 

 acknowledge the kind assistance received from Dr. John Torrey, 

 L. L. D., of the city of New York, one of the most eminent botan- 

 ists of this continent, in the determination of many of the grasses 



