NORTH AMERICA* 
465 
CHAP, XL 
After my return from the Creek nation, I em~ 
ployed myfelf during the fpring and fore part of 
fummer, in revihting the federal diftrids in Geor- 
gia and the Eaft borders of Florida, where I had 
noted the mod curious fubjeds ; colleding them 
together, and dripping them off to England, In 
the c.ourfe of thefe excursions and relearches, I 
had the opportunity of obferving the new dower- 
ing flirub, refembling the Gordonia**, in perfed 
bloom, as well as bearing ripe fruit. It is a 
dowering tree, of the drfl order for beauty and 
fragrance of blodbms : the tree grows dfteen or 
twenty feet high, branching alternately ; the 
leaves are oblong, broaded: towards their ex- 
tremities, and terminate with an acute point, 
which is generally a little redexed ; they are 
lightly ferrated, attenuate downwards, and fedile, 
or have very fhort petioles ; they are placed in 
alternate order, and towards the extremities of 
the twigs are crouded together, but dand more 
fparfedly below ; the dowers are very large, ex- 
pand themfelves perfedly, are of a fnow white 
colour, and ornamented with a crown or taflel 
of gold coloured refulgent ftaminse in their cen- 
tre , the inferior petal or fegment of the corolla 
Is hollow, formed like a cap or helmet, and entirely 
includes the other four, until the moment of ex- 
pansion ; its exterior Surface is covered with a 
Short dlky hair ; the borders of the petals are 
* On firft obferving the fru&iflcation and habit of this tree, I was inclined 
to believe it a fpecies of Gordonia ; but afterwards, upon itri£ter examin- 
ation, and comparing its flowers and fruit with thofe of the Gordonia laflan- 
thus, I prefently found ftriking charadteriftics abundantly fufficient to fe- 
parate it from that genus, and to eftabMi it the head of a new tribe, which 
we have honoured with the name of the illuftrious Dr. Benjamin Franklin, 
Fra&kJinia Alatamaha, 
H h crifped 
