14 Geographical Botany of the United States. 



But in this extensive territory, botanical investigation has beett 

 thus far confined chiefly to the banks of the larger streams; nor 

 liave even these been examined throughout successive seasons. 

 The mountainous tracts— the vast plains— and the whole southern 

 and western part, have been in a good degree neglected. The dis- 

 coveries of Mr. Nuttall and Dr. James, are a sufficient surety of 

 the abundant harvest still unreaped at the base of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains ; on the head waters of the Arkansas and Red River, and on 

 the confines of Mexico and California. 



For information concerning the vegetable products of our North 

 West Coast, we are indebted chiefly to Prof. Pallas, Mr. Menzies, 

 and to our own countryman, Meriwether Lewis ; who, during his 

 celebrated expedition, brought from the mouth of the Columbia, 

 many new and interesting objects. It is a subject of congratula- 

 tion, that Mr. Douglass, under the patronage of the London Horti- 

 cultural Society, has devoted two or three years to the examination 

 of the botany of this part of the United States, and has made many 

 valuable discoveries ; and among others, that of a new species of 

 Pine, which is said greatly to excel any that has been hitherto 

 known on this continent. We anticipate the early publication of 

 his Flora, which must throw much light upon the geographical bot- 

 any of this continent. 



The Floridas, previous to their cession to the United States, 

 were visited by the elder Bartram. Since that time, a few addi- 

 tions to their Flora have been communicated by Mr. Nuttall ;* but 

 they have not by any means been thoroughly explored. 



Such is the extent of which the various sections of the United 

 States have been botanically investigated. How much still re- 

 mains to be done, may be gathered from the following facts : 



The number of Phenogamous plants enumerated by Nuttall in his 

 Genera of North American Plants, published in 1818, is about 

 3230. This, however, includes several species which are peculiar 

 to Canada, Labrador, and Hudson's Bay. If we deduct these, 

 and then add such as have been discovered within the limits of the 

 United States, since the year 1S18, the number of species at pre- 

 sent known will not be fur from 3500 ; and this from a country 

 whose area is about 2,300,000 square miles. 



In France, whose area is about 200,000 square miles, La Marck 

 and De Candolle enumerated, in 1806, 4688 species, of which 

 1472 were Cryptogamous and 3216 Phenogamous ; but a few less 

 than were known to be natives of the United States in ISIS. 



