58 On the Rarer Plants of North America.^ 



sesses, over the other tracts of Canada which we traversed, is, 

 the very desirable nature of its soil ; being easily cleared and 

 easily cultivated. The fine natural undulations before alluded 

 to, are likewise very advantageous ; for commanding situations 

 can thus be procured, on which to place the dwelling-houses, so 

 as to have a view of the country around, whereas, in the gene- 

 rality of cases the surface is nearly level, and there is no possi- 

 bility of seeing beyond the space from which the trees are cut 

 down.* 



Ranunculace^e. — Cimicifuga racemosa, Nutt. and Torrv. Abundant on 

 both sides of the banks of the Genisii river, leading from Lake Ontario to 

 Rochester, United States. 



Cimicifuga podocarpa, Dec. On the sides of moist wooded valleys near the 

 summit of the Allegheny range, where it was seen in quantities intermixed 

 with Cimicifuga serpentaria, from which it is readily distinguished by its stipi- 

 tate germens, which are in clusters varying from four to six. 



ViolarijE — Solea concolor, Dec. Moist meadows, Goderich Road, Upper 

 Canada. 



Cistine^e — Hudsonia ericoides, var. tomentosa, Nutt. Dry, sandy, barrens ; 

 New Jersey. We are much inclined to think that this is only a variety of //. 

 ericoides ; they were both seen in abundance together, and many sub- varieties 

 were observed which seem to unite the two. This curious shrub covers large 

 tracts of the dry white sandy plains of New Jersey, in large round tufts, where 

 it resembles very much the common ling {Calluna vulgaris) of Scotland. 



Droserace^e — Parnassia caroliniana, Mx. Banks of the river Thames, 

 New London, Upper Canada. 



Line^e. — Linum virginicum, Linn. On the moist banks of marshes, Penin- 

 sula of Toronto, Upper Canada. 



Hypericine^e — Hypericum frondosum, Mx. and Schweinitz. Moist shady 

 places along the banks, on the Canada side, of the St Clair river. 



Hypericum Kalmianum, var. elongatum. Moist places ; Quaker Bridge ; New 

 Jersey. The//. Kalmianum Ave saw in great abundance in the neighbourhood 

 of Niagara Falls, growing on dry spots near the Table R,ock ; whereas the 

 New Jersey plant was found in low moist places, and differs from the other 

 by its branches being more elongated, and the leaves rounder at their extre- 



* I may mention that the trip was undertaken chiefly for the gratifi- 

 cation of my valued friend Mr Brown, formerly of the Perth Nurseries, 

 whose ardent love of science led him to America, that he might have the op- 

 portunity of seeing, in a state of nature, those forest trees and shrubs, to the 

 rearing of which, in early life, his attention had been devoted ; and a greater 

 treat need not be sought for by any one whose delight is in the cultivation of 

 plants or shrubs, than to see the perfection to which they attain in their na- 

 tive soils : Thus, too, will he be the better able to judge of the degree of per- 

 fection to which they are capable of being brought by cultivation. The tour, 

 therefore, was strictly private, and not (as some of the public journals seem to 

 have imagined) under the auspices of any public institution. 



