Vlll 
PREFACE. 
While the work was in progress, Professor Torre y 
informed me of the arrival of a large collection of dried 
plants from Key West, in East Florida, made by Doctor 
Blodgett, of the United States army. All the trees in 
this herbarium, at least forty species, were in the most 
generous manner given up to me for publication by the 
Professor. Most of them form distinguishing features 
in the tropical landscape of the West India Islands. 
Among them were the Mahogany, Simaruba , the Gua- 
iacum or Lignum Vitse, the poisonous Manchineel, seve- 
ral trees of the family of the Myrtles, ( Eugenia ,) three 
or four species of Fig trees, the Calabash, and Papaw 
or Melon-tree, the Mangrove, tw r o species of Cordia, the 
West India Birch {Bur sera gummifera ), and many other 
arborescent plants which are now for the first time add- 
ed to the Flora of the United States, and thus in a mea- 
sure resolving the problem of the geographical limits of 
the Caribbean Flora. The island of Key West lies 
about eighty-five miles from East Florida, and is the 
same distance from Cuba. It is about nine miles long 
and three broad, containing a population of about 400 
people, chiefly engaged as wreckers. 
Besides the trees we have noticed, I have been re- 
cently informed of the existence of thickets of Cactuses 
on the island, one of which with an erect, cylindric and 
divided stem, attains the height of 30 or more feet. 
In the islands of the Everglades, considerably inland 
in East Florida, we have been informed that a Palm 
about 90 feet high, forming a magnificent tree, has been 
seen, but of this plant we have been unable to obtain, 
as yet, any further account. 
The haste with which I have been obliged to proceed 
with the publication, has prevented me from receiving 
much advantage from correspondents. Such as have 
honoured me with their remarks are mentioned under 
