1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
203 
The Rarest of Native Plants—Shortia. 
Woolson & Co., Passaic, N. J., its flowering 
in a cold-house this spring allows us to pre¬ 
sent an engraving of the novelty, which ap¬ 
pears likely to add another to the list of 
alpine plants desirable for cultivation. The 
origin of the generic name, Shortia, has al¬ 
ready been given ; its specific name is galaci- 
folia, from the resemblance of its leaves to 
those of Galax, a related plant. It belongs in 
the small Diapensia Fam¬ 
ily, and related on one side 
to the Heath, and on the 
other to the Primrose 
Families. The 
creeping root-stock, 
which arise tufts of ever¬ 
green leaves, of the form 
shown in the engraving. 
The flower stalks appear 
beautiful native flowers. Some of the ever¬ 
green shrubby species from the Cape of Good 
Hope are showy greenhouse plants. The 
species here figured is a dwarf shrub that 
comes from the Alps of Switzerland and 
other mountainous parts of Europe. In its 
wild state it varies greatly with the soil and 
situation, being often not more than two 
inches high, but in cultivation in favorable 
Probably no other native plant has been 
the object of so much search, or has had its 
existence surrounded by so much doubt, as 
Shortia. In the year 1839, Prof. Asa Gray, 
in examining the herbarium of the elder 
Michaux, at the Paris Museum, came across 
a specimen collected by that eminent French 
botanist in the mountains of North Carolina, 
now about a hundred years ago. Though 
the specimen had lost both petals and stamens. 
Doctor Gray at once saw that it was unlike 
any other American plant, and described it 
as the type of a new genus, Shortia. The 
name was given in honor of the late Doctor 
C. W. Short, of Louisville, Kentucky, an 
accomplished botanist, and one who did much 
by his wealth for the promotion of the science. 
A bake native plant (Shortia galacifolia). 
THE BOX-LEAVED MILKWORT. 
In 1841 Doctor Gray and two other botanists 
made an extended tom - through the moun¬ 
tains of North Carolina, mainly for the pur¬ 
pose of finding Shortia, and at intervals other 
botanists have since followed Michaux’s trail, 
searching for the same plant. Their lack of 
success was so uniform that it began to be 
feared that there was some mistake about 
Michaux’s specimen, which might not have 
come from America after all. But the genus 
turned up in 1868—not in North Carolina, but 
in Japan, where a plant was discovered agree¬ 
ing with the description of the genus Shortia, 
but a different species. At last, in 1877, Mr. 
G. M. Hyams had the good fortune to dis¬ 
cover the long sought Shortia in McDowell 
Co., N. C., and in 1879, Doctor Gray and a 
number of other botanists made an excursion 
to Mr. Hyams’ locality. This most interest¬ 
ing spot, which was a space of only about 10 
by 30 feet contained from 50 to 100 of the 
plants which had been the object of so much 
search. There are a few other instances of a 
plant being confined to a single limited area, 
but we think none where the whole known 
stock is restricted to quite so small a station. 
There are hopes that other localities may yet 
he found for it, though it may be that the 
plant, in the “struggle for existence,” has 
here found its “last ditch,” where it is mak¬ 
ing a stand, but may shortly disappear alto¬ 
gether. A few specimens having found their 
way to the collection of hardy plants of 
from among the leaves, each bearing a single 
pure white flower, which is, when fully ex¬ 
panded, an inch across ; the petals are some¬ 
what fringed or irregularly scolloped at the 
margin, and marked with semi-transparent 
veins. This is not the place in which to give 
the minute structure which distinguishes the 
plant botanically. As a general thing, botan¬ 
ical varieties are not often attractive horti- 
culturally, but Shortia is an exception. We 
trust that this interesting little native, af¬ 
ter so long eluding civilization, may kind¬ 
ly submit to cultivation, and iri proper lo¬ 
calities become at home in our grounds. 
The Box-Leaved Milkwort. 
The Milkworts— Polygalas, are rather a large 
genus, there being, the world over, more than 
2G0 species. Of these we have, in North 
America, over 30, but they are for the most 
part not so showy as to be well known. 
Perhaps the best known is one of the least 
conspicuous, Polygala Senega, which, from 
furnishing the drug, “Seneca Snake-Root,” 
has been nearly exterminated in most of 
the older States by the root and herb gath¬ 
erer. Those who study our native plants 
know that the genus presents much that is 
interesting, and they find in the “Fringed 
Polygala,” P. paucifolia, of northern woods 
and along the southern mountains, one 
which, though small, is among our most 
conditions it is a foot or more in hight. 
Being an evergreen, it can only succeed with 
us in a partly shaded, moist locality, and 
when this can be given, it is a most desirable 
plant, being perfectly hardy,, so far as cold 
is concerned, but to succeed, its foliage must 
not be exposed to our midsummer sun. To 
grow at the foot of a rockwork, or at the 
front of a shrubbery border, it is very useful, 
as it is in flower for a long time, and when 
not in bloom its dark-green, box-like, foliage 
is pleasing. The engraving gives the leaves 
and flowers of the real size. The flowers 
have a peculiar quaint form, and show a 
pleasing combination of delicate yellow and 
pink. The fragrance of the flowers is very 
distinct, and has been compared, among other 
things, to that of ripe apricots. Wherever 
it will flourish it will be found most useful 
for forcing. The plant from which the 
drawing was made was potted last fall, and 
in a cool house, indeed, so cold that it some¬ 
times froze; it came into flower in February, 
and remained in perfection for a long time. 
Like other plants that form dense tufts, this 
is easily multiplied by division of the clumps. 
Ti-aiisplanting I.aitvels.— Few shrubs 
are more beautiful than our native Mountain 
Laurel, Kalmia latifolia, and the desire to 
have it in the garden is very general. The 
many unsuccessful attempts at removing it, 
from its wild localities have given rise to the 
