Geographical Botany of the United States. 15 



I regret, that I have not at present the means of extending this 

 comparison to the Floras of other countries. This deficiency, I 

 hope to be able hereafter to supply. 



The plants of the United States are distributed into 93 of the 

 natural orders of Jussieu, of which the most numerous are the Co- 

 rymbifera, Gramineaa, Cyperoideoe, Legurainoseae, Rosacea?, 

 Amentaceae, and Labiatae, in the order they have been named; 

 and which, together, possess about 1400 species. Of the remain- 

 ing orders, few contain above 50 species, and nearly one half less 

 than 10. 



The general distribution of these plants through the different sec- 

 tions of the United States, will next claim our attention ; though 

 we must premise, that the materials for that purpose are still quite 



In Torrey's Compendium of the Flora of the Northern and Mid- 

 dle States, published in 1826, are enumerated 1900 Phenogamous 

 species, and there is about the same number of Indigenous species 

 in Eaton's Manual. The territory, included in this enumeration, 

 is north of the 38th degree of north latitude, and east of the eastern 

 boundary of Ohio. 



From a patient examination of the North American Flora of 

 Pursh, 1814, and Elliott's Sketch of the Botany of South Carolina 

 and Georgia, I find that the number of species in the Atlantic States 

 south of the 38th degree of N. latitude, is about 2300 species. 



By a comparison of these Floras, I find also, that 650 species 

 are peculiar to the Northern States as above designated, and about 

 1050 peculiar to the territory south of the 3Sth degree ; and of about 

 800 or 900 species heretofore noticed west of the above, from 200 

 to 300 are peculiar to that region. I use the term peculiar, be- 

 cause they appear to flourish best, and be most at home there ; 

 not that the line is in every case exactly upon the limits just assign- 

 ed. 



From these statements it may be inferred, that from 12 to 1300 

 species are more or less common to the Northern and Southern re- 

 gions on the Atlantic coast ; and that of the plants found west, 5 or 

 600 species are also common to the Atlantic region. Some of 

 these have a very extensive range of locality. I shall notice a few 

 of the most striking examples, 



Dulkhium spithaceum. Richard. This giumaceous plant is found 

 in the moist sandy soils and on the banks of streams in Georgia. 



