116 
LETTERS FROM ALABAMA. 
partially, and with much more slowness. The 
leaves are pinnate, the leaflets, which are numerous 
and even— that is, without a terminal one— are 
.very singular in shape, the mid-rib dividing them 
into two very irregular and unequal portions. 
The flowers are in globular spikes, and resemble 
a little sphere of pink down, composed of fine 
filaments radiating from the centre, which are the 
long stamens of many small close-set blossoms. 
I have seen a much larger species [Mimosa ), 
a tree twelve or fifteen feet in height, whose globu- 
lar flowers, an inch in diameter, and of a pink hue, 
were delightfully fragrant ; this I think is rare, 
and I do not know that it possesses any peculiar 
irritability. 
Just at this season the majestic Chestnut [Gas- 
tanea Americana) is very conspicuous in the forest 
by its masses of pale mealy foliage, formed by the 
graceful pendulous feathery spikes of small flowers, 
their light downy appearance being caused by the 
flowers being composed of stamens and pistil with- 
out apparent corolla. These spikes first appear as 
slender strings, growing to the length of about six 
inches ; at that time the unopened flowers, sixty 
or seventy on each spike, look like little flattened 
greenish tubercles, running in a spiral direction 
round the axis. Although these spikes are long, 
and contain many blossoms, no more than one or 
two produce fruit ; indeed, it would be impossible 
for all to be fertile, for as the little blossoms are 
in close contact with each other, there would be 
no room for the growth of the fruit except by the 
destruction of many of them ; for when full grown 
the fruit, or hurr^ as it is called, is two inches in 
diameter. The chestnut is one of the most com- 
