Natural History of New York, Zoology of New York, New York Flora T1, J. Torrey 1843

A

FLORA
OF THE

STATE OF NEW -YORK,
COl\lPRISING

FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF ALL THE INDIGENOUS AND NATURALIZED PLANTS HITHERTO
DISCOVERED IN THE STATE;

WITII REMARKS ON THEIR ECONOMICAL A:ND DIEDICINAL PROPERTIES.

By JOHN TORREY, M. D., F. L. S.

VOL. I.

ALBANY:
CARROLL AND COOK, PRINTERS TO THE ASSE:\IDLY.

1843.


The copyright of this work is secured for the benefit of the People of the State of N e\v-York.

SAMUEL YOUNG,
~Stlcretary of .SLat.~.

Albany, 1843.

PREF ACE.
Act for a Geological Survey of New-York, passed by the Legislature in 1836, makes
provision for a full account of tIle Natural I-listory of tIle State. Having been appointed
to take cllarge of the Botanical Departlllent of the Survey, I present in tllese volulnes the
resllits of IllY labors.
From tIle follo\ving llistorical sketcll, it ,viII be seel1, that \vllile much lIas been done to
make knO\V11 the vegetable productions of tIle State, this is the first separate \vork in which
all the known plants of Ne\v-Yorl{ llave beel1 enunleratell and described.~:
TIle earliest treatise on tIle Botany of New-York, tllat lIas come under IllY observation,.
is the " Pialltre Coldenhall1ire" of Goverllor COLDEN, pllbiisiled in the Acts of the Royal
Society of Upsal for tIle y"ear 1744. It is all account of tIle plants gro\ving spontaneously
in the neighborhood of Coldenham, in Orange County, and elnbraces only tIle first twelve
classes of the Linnrean Systeln. The second part ,vas (I believe) never published. t
KALM, a pupil of LINNlEUS (and afterwards a Bisllop), visited Nortll Alllerica in 1747,
and collected plants in Ne,v-York, whicll are often referred to in the writings of LINNlEUS,
and nlan~r of tllem are preserved in his llerbariulll.
Dr. W ANGENHEIM, a Hessian surgeon in the British ArnlY ouring the _A.nlerican Revolution, made numerous observations OIl tIle plants of tllis country, particlliarly on those of
New-York. After his return to Germany, he published a. work on the trees of North
America.
MICHAUX the elder travelled in the nortllern and soutilern parts of the State in 1792,
while engaged in collecting plallts for the French Goy'ernnlellt, as well as for his Flora
Boreali-.J1mericana, which was published in Paris in 1803. He ,vas acconlpallied by his
son, who afterwards revisited tllis country, and travelled extensi rely in nlost of the States
east of the Mississippi, and, on returning to Europe, pllblislled, in 1810, his splendid work
on the Forest Trees of North America. The younger MICHAUX examined tIle valley of
the Hudson, the borders of Lake Champlain, and a considerable portion of tIle western
counties.
THE

* Much of this historical matter was furnished for Governor
State.
t See Dr. GRAY'S memoir of COLDEN, in Silliman's Journal.

[FLORA.]

B

SEWARD'S

Introduction to the Natural History of the


II

PREFACE.

The late Dr. C. W. EDDY, of New-Yorl{, was a zealous botanist, and devoted much
attention to tIle, plants of tllis State; but his herborizations were mostly confined to the
vicinity of the metropolis and Long Islal1d. In 1808, he llublished in tlle New-York
Medical Repository a list of plants growing spontaneously around Plandolne, in Queens
county.
TIle sanle year, PURSI-I, author of tIle Flora Jlmerict2 Septentrionalis, made an extensive
botanical tour on foot tllrough tIle State, the fruits of whicll nre recorded in his work.
Major J. LE C~ONTE (110\V, I 1,elieve, the' oldest botanist ill the Ullited States) llas for
l1lany years assiduousl y studied th(~ plants of N ort.h Arncrica. Among his valuable publications is a catal(),~ue of 468 species of indigenous and natnralized plants gro\ving spontaneous] y on tIle island of N C\V - Yorl{. This was inserted in the American Medical and
Pllilosopllical Register for 1811, edit.ed by Dr. HOSACK and Dr. FRANCIS.
In 1814, the latc Professor JACOB GREEN publishcd at Albany his list of the native plants
of the State of Nc\v-Yurl{, in tIle conlpilation of ,vlllch he \vas assisted by Messrs. PURSH,
EDDY, LE CONTE~ und WHITLO\V.

III 1817, at the rcqllcst of tlle Lyceu111 of Natural History, I prepared a list of the plants
gro'Ying witllill tllirty llliles of the city of New-York, which was not publislled, however,
llntil 1819. It ell11Jraced about 1300 species (of \\rIlich sevcral new ones were described) ,
including a CUllsiderabie portioll of tIle Cr}rptogarnia.
The first edition of tIle Man ual of Botany') by tIle late Prof. EATON, of Troy, appeared in
1818. Tllis ,veIl kllo,vn 'York passed tIlr~l1g11 eigllt editions, the last of ,vhich, in an enlarged forl11, under tIle title of Nortil All1erican Botall}~, is dated 1840, and was prepared
by tIle united labors of Prof. EATON and JOHN WRIGHT, ~I. D. The authors have indicated 1110st of the rarer plallts ,vIlich tlley llad ascertailled to be indigenous to ~ ew-York.
TIle first YOIUlllC of lllY' Flora of tIle l\iiddle and Korthern States, aceording to the
Linnreall Sy'stClll, was publislled in 1823 and 1824, and enlbraced the classes from Monandria to Icosandria illclusive. Before the second Volul11e ,\~as completed., the 'York was
interrupted by otller labors, and finally abandoned, tInder tIle persuasion tllat I could better
serv"e tIle cause of N ortll All1erican Botany b}r adopting the nattlral s)Tstem. A Compendiunl of tIle Flora ,vas, llov.rever, given to tIle public in 1826. Tllese works contain most
of tIle observatiolls I had then lllude on the plants of N c,,'"-York.
III 1833, Prof. L. C. BECK gave us llis ,veIl digested alld conlprehensive Botany of the
Northern States. Witll the exception of IllY account of Dr. James's plants collected in
Long's first Expedition, tllis \vas tIle first All1crican 'York ill vl11icll the Natural System was
follo\ved.
TIle next publication relative to tIle Flora of our State., is a Catalogue of Plants
growil1g in tIle vicinity of Troy, by Prof. J. H_o\LL and Dr. J. WRIGHT. Tllis appeared in
1836.
Beside these contributions to the Botany of N e\\r-York, various articles on tIle same
sllbject are inserted in scientific alld other periodicals.
In the Transyl~ania Journal of Medicille for 1832, is a description of some new or rare


PREFACE.

III

plants found near Troy by the late Mr. H. H. EATON. Silliman's Journal contains descriptions of New-York plants by Mr. DAVID THOMAS, Prof. DEWEY and others. In the Reports
of the Regents of the University are several local catalogues of plants, which are useful

in giving the geographical range of many species. Some of the most important of these
lists are the following: Rare plants detected in Westchester County" by S_~MUEL B. MEAD,
M. D., published in the Report for 1830; List of indigenous plants growing in the vicinity
of Kinderlloolr, by W. V. S. WOODWORTH, to be found in tIle Report of 1840; Plants
growing near Aurora, Cayuga COUllty, by ALEXANDER THOMPSON, M. D., printed in the
Report of 1841 ; Cataloglle of plants in and about tIle city of Rochester, with their times
of flo'\vering for 1841, in tIle Report of 1842. In tIle sam~ report is a very full and accurate catalogue of the plants of Ollcida County, by P. D. KNIESKERN, M. D. In the Report
of tIle followi.llg year is a Botallical Calendar for the year 1842, by Prof. DEWEY. The
Anllals of the Ne\v-York Lycellnl contain an excellent !Japer by Dr. GRAY, on some rare
plants of the nortIlcrn and \vestern Coullties, besides other articles in \Vllich New-York
plants are described or noticed by Dr. GRAY and myself.
Lastly I Inay be allo\ved to llotice the Flora of NortIl Alnerica, by Dr. GRAY and myself,
110t only because it is Pllblislled in Ne,v-York, but also as contail1ing the reslllts (as far as
the worl{ extends) of our nllluerOllS observations on tIle plants of this State.
There are few regions north of Virgillia, possessed of greater interest to the botanist,
than the State of New-York. The geographical range of plants being limited by the
characters of tIle soil and rocks as well as by teillperaturc, and the geological features of
the State being greatly diversified, our Flora embraces nearly as Inany species as the whole
of New-England. The able geologists of the Survey llave fully described tIle physical
characters of the surface, so that I may omit SUCll details here. For botanical purposes, it
is sufficient to divide the State into four Floral Distriets, which nearly correspond with the
Zoological Regions of Dr. DEKAY. WitlI the exception of the first, they cannot be very
accurately circuillscribed.
1. THE ATLANTIC REGION. Tllis consists of Long Island alone; for although Staten
Island, as well as the Island of New-York and a part of Westcllester, are within the limits
of salt water, they belong, botanically considered, to tIle Second Region. Besides Dllmerous
maritill1e plants, Long Island affords Inany species tllat are found in no other part of the
State. Some of these characteristic plants are tIle following, viz : Clematis ocllroleuca,
Polygala lutea, * Hudsonia ericoides, Drosera filifor1nis, .Ilscy1"um sta1tS, .I1renaria squarrosa,
Clitoria Mariana, Eupatoriu'J1~ leucolepis, E. rotund'ifolium ff aroTaaticum, Aster spectabilis,

Chrysopsis falcata, (}oreopsis rosea, Lobelia Nuttall-i'i, Euphorbia Ipecacuanha, Eleocltaris
tuberculosa, and Panicum verrucosum. l\Jlost of tllese plants are also c.haracteristic of the
great tertiary region of the United States, particularly of that portion of it which embraces
the pine barrens of New-Jersey.
• See Appendix.


PREFACE.

IV

2. 'fIfE I-IuDsoN VALLEY REGION. This includes all that }Jortion of the State which is
,vatered by the Hudson and its tributaries, as far north as Washington and Saratoga counties, together "Titli tIle yalley of the Mo,llawk east of tIle Little Falls; and also Staten
Island. Its Ycgetation, tal\:en as a ,vholc, is silnilar to that of Connecticllt, the ,vestern
part of Massachusetts, the northcrn }lart of Nc,v-Jersey, and Pennsylvania east of the Blue
Ridge. It is diffieult to indicate its characteristic plants; but very few of the following are
found ill any of tIle other regions: Ranunculus ])usillus, Brasenia peltata, Nasturtium hispid1.l1n, 5 ilcne Pfnnsyh'((ll'ica, Le.\'j)crlcza c(fjJitat(l, Crotalaria sagittalis, Prunus .lJ.mericana,
JJ.cer dasycarpu1n, Ludlci,~ia sp!z(crocarj)([, Erhinocystis lobata, Crantzia lineata, Vernonia
Novebo1·acensis, ~nlill gcdiU11t acunLina!u1n, Clcthra a In ifolia, Kalmia angustifolia, Hottonia
inflata, Qucrcns oliv(pforlnis f:) macrocaJ'j)(l, Bet'ula r'ubra, Scirpus planifolius, and .lJ.the1·opog'on apl1.tdoidfS.
In the soutllern part of this region (particularly tlJe island of New-York and Staten
Islalld) there ocellr a fe'v s!Jccies (such as Desmod'ium viridiflorum and Stylosanthes elatior) ,
that are fonnd ill 110 other part of the State except Long Island. The Inountainous districts
present a vegetation lTIOre rescrnbling tllat of tIle northern counties. Thus, the Myrica
Gale and ./lrcnar£a Grrenlandica occur on tlie lligller sllmmits of the Shawangunk Mountains; Potentilla tridcntata alld Pyrus .flucuparia, on the peaks of the Fishkill Range;
,vhile 011 tIle Catskill 1110l1ntains (solne of ,vllich attaill all altitude of between 3000 and
4000 feet) are found GoodyeTa repens, Oxalis .lJ.cetosella, Solidago thyrsoidea, .lJ.bies balsamea
ff alba, and Betula papyracea.
3. THE WESTERN REGION is bounded on tIle soutll by the State of Pennsylvania, on the
west by Lakes Erie and Olltario, on tIle north lJy an irregular line extending along the

SOllthern borders of J efferSOll and Lewis counties to tIle Little Falls; so that it includes
Oswego, the greater portioll of Oneida, and the southern part of Herkimer counties.
Eastwardly it blends with tIle Hudson River Region. Its vegetation greatly resembles
that of the nliddle portiolls of tile country east of the l\Iissis8ippi, lying between the Great
Lakes and tile Ohio River. SOBle of tIle peculiar species are the following: Jeffersonia
diphylla, Hydrastus Canadensis, .I1rabis dentata, Solea concolm", Ptelea trifoliata, Trifolium
reflexum, Phaca neglecta, Gyntnocladus Canadensis, Gillenia trifoliata Sf stipulacea, Erigenia
bulbosa, Fedia Fagopyrum, Solidago Ohioensis, Collinsia ve'rna, Zigadenus glaucus and
(}yperus Scltweinitzii.
A fe\v Canadian }Jlants find their way frOin a considerable distance north, into this
region, \\Titllout being kno\vn to occur in tile intervening country; such as Viola Selkirkii,
Valeriana sylvatica, Pinguicula vulgaris, and Primula Mistassinica.
4. THE NORTHERN REGION includes all tllat part of the State which lies north of the
Moha\vlr Valley alld the Hoosick River. It is bounded on tIle west by the River St. Lawrence and tIle nortlleastern extrcll1ity of Lake Ontario, and on tIle east by Lake Champlain and the State of Verll10nt. Mucll of th~ central part of this region is still a wilderness. To,vards tIle east and 8011tll tlle land is elevated ,vith high mOllntains, among which
are numerous ·snlailiakes. Here are the SOllrces of the Hudson, the All Sable, the Saranac,
l


PREFACE.

v

Blaclr, Raclret, and many otller snlaller rivers. Some of tIle mountains, such as Mount
Marcy, Mount M'intyre, and Wlliteface, rise to tlle h(·jgltt of {roln 4900 to 5400 feet,
and afford a truly alpine vegetation. On some of the higher peaks are found El)ilobiurn~
alpinttm, Solidago TTirg'(lUrea, Rhododendron Lapponicum, Vacc£niu1n uli/~inosuln, Diapensia
Lappon,ica, Empet1 um nl~g'rnm, Poa alJ) ina , I-lierocltloa alpina, Juncns trijidus, (t arex sa.1'alilis,
.Jli1 a atrOp'llrpUrea, and other plants peculiar to hj.~h lllollntains of tIle nortllcrn henlisphcrc,
or natives of the arctic zone. Sonle of the cllaraeterjstie plants of the less elevated portions of this region are .fl:nernone multi/ida, Draba arabr£:::;a'ns, Ceanotltus oval£s, Nardosm'ia
palmata, Aster ptarm-icoides, ./1 rni ca 'lnollis, /-/al,' nin d~flexa, Batschia canescens, Dracocepltalun~

part'iflorum , Haben,ar'ia obtusata, .f1i/uls 1,ir£dis, JllliurrlJ Canadense, Juncus styg'ius and
Eq'lllisetum scirpo1°des. In its goeneral features, tIle botany of this rrgion is v(~ry sinlilar to
that of Southern Canada and the Northern Ne,v-England States.
Some plallts are COllllnon to tIle N orthC'Tn and Western R('gions, but do 110t OCellI" in the
Valley of tIle Hudson., nor on Long Island; SUCll as Turrit'is stricta, Nastllrtiuln nata1~s,
Hyper'l°cum ellijJticum, Astragalus Can,ade1~s'is, GeUl1t Tivale Sf Canadcnse, COiilarU{f~ palustre,
Tiarella cordifolia, GnajJlt.aliu/nt decurre1ls, Pyrola uniflora, Shephcrdia (/auadensis'l StreptOP'lts arttplexicGulis, and Juncus filiform'Z~s.
The State of N e,v-York is the northern limit of a considerable nllnlber of species. Thus
Magnolia acum'Z°Ttafa occurs on the Niagara River, and on tIle borders of Lake 011tario,
41

4

somewhat beyond the latitude of 43°, wllile its eastern limit is the nortllern part of Colunlbia
COllnty. Opuntia vulgaris 11as been found in tIle soutllern part of Herkimer County.
Hydrocl~aris cordifolia, ,yllich Dr. BRADLEY detected 011 the swampy borders of Lake
Ontario, is a remarkable instance of a SOlltllern plant being found so far nortll, ,vithout
occllrring in the intervening country. Aconitum u1~cinatum is sparingly seen on the banks
of the Chenango Riyer, in latitude 42°. Nelumbium luteu1n is a native of Big SOdllS Bay
on Lake Ontario, in lat. 43° 20 beyond ,vhicll, to the north, it Ilas not hitlterto been
observed. Long Island is the northern limit of nllnlerous species, suell as Quercus Phellos,
prinoides If nigra, besides nlany of those which 11ave been enulnerated as the peculiar
plants of that region.
The SOllthern linlits of plants are not so well defined as the extent of their range to,,:ards
the nortll; for many nortllern species are found along the tracts of lllountains, where the
temperature is lo,v and tIle air moist, several degrees SOllth of their ordinary places of
growth. Still we l1ave a few plants in our Flora, ,vllieh, I believe, have not been observed
south of the State of New-York; such as Hipp'llrisvulgaris, Myriophyllu1n tene/tum, 5"elinu1n .
Canadense, Valeriana sylvatica, Pterospora .lJ.ndromedea, Populus Balsa1nifera, and Shepherdia Canade1i~sis.
We can boast of but few plants tllat are unl{nown out of tIle limits of our Flora. Pyrola

uliginosa, a new species, is alnlost the only unequivocal one of this class. Scolopendrium
vulgare (an European fern) is certainly indigenous in the western part of the State, and
I have no information of its having been found elsewhere 'in North America. The rarest
of all ferns, Onoclea obtusilobata, first described by SCHKUIIR, and now unknown to any
1

;


PREFA.CE.

VI

European herbarium, was fOllnd more than twenty years ago by Dr. JEDEDIAH SMITH, in
Washington County. He obtained only two specimens, botll of which (though in a mutilated state) are still in existence, and no others have since been obtained. Diligent but
llnsuccessful scarell Ilas been rnade for it in the original locality of Dr. SMITH.
It is reillarkable, that on tIle shores of tile Great Lakes, there are certain plants, the
proper station of ,vhich is tIle ilnnledjatca lie ig-llborllood of tIle ocean, as if tlley llad constituted part of the carly Flora of tl108C regiolls, wIlen tIle lal{es \vere filled witll salt water,
and have sluO\yivl,d the change that lias taken place in tIle pllysical conditions of their soil.
Aillong SllCli species 111~lY be CnUl1H'rnteu ()al-Lilf marilinlJl, Hudsonia tomentosa, Lathrus
maritilnus, and EUjJhorbia polygonij()lia.
Of proper InllritiHH' plten(J~amous l)lants, the shores of Long I8land and Staten Island,
a~ \v(,II as the coullll('s of Ne,v-York and \\TestchC'ster \yIlere tlley border on the Hudson
and the Sound, nne )rd alH)ut lift J species, llonc of \vhicll are s('(_'n lJf'yond tIle limits of salt,
or, at least, brac.kish, \vuter, CXCC!)t a fc\v \v]lich occur ill tIle saline soils of Salina and
Syrneuse.
Tilt" \vllolc 111111lber of Flo\vering Plants hitherto found in tJle State is about 1450 species,
,vllicll is 100 1110rt' than \vcrc t'llUllH'ratcd in Illy prelilninary Report of 1840. Of Ferns
and their allies, 60 species belong to Ollr Flora. The utiler cryptogamic orders haye not
yet been fully dcterlnined, as I filld tlleir 11U11lber so great tllut they· could not be included

in tIle t\VO YOIUnles to ,yllicil 11l~Y first Report was limited. An account of such as belong
to the orders l\Iusci, He!Jaticre, Licllenes, Cllaracere and Algre, ,viII be given in a future
YOllll118 if alltllorized by tIle Legislature. TIle Fungi constitute so peculiar a department
of the \T egetablc Kingdoll1, and tlleir sl)ecies are so extremely numerous, that a botanist,
to do tlleffi jllsticc, Inllst 111ak:e tllel1l allllost an exclusive study. The late Rev. M. DE
SCH"VEINITZ llas gi veIl us a list of 1110re than 3000 species belonging to the United States,
Inost of ,vI-licll he fOUIld ill tIle State of Penns}1vania. Tllere can be little doubt tilat a
yery large proportioll of tllenl grow in Ke\v-York; b1lt in collecting these plants, I have
been obliged to COllfine l1lyself to the lllore important species.
A Report on tIle BotallY of Ollr State 'VOllld possess little vallIe, unless the plallts were
described so tilat they could be idelltified; and the only ,yay ill ,vhieh this COllld be done
(unless the dcscril)tiollS are extended to all llnreasonable length) , is by elllploying botanical
langllage, and by arranging tIle plants in 111etllodical order. Hence I was induced to put
the matter of IllY report in tIle forl11 of a Flora. Ha ying adopted this plan, I COllld not
hesitate for a nl0111ent as to tIle systelll \yllicll OUgllt to be used; for the artificial classification of Lilln[eUS, lluying accolllplishcd the object for ,,"hiell it ,,~as designed, may be
considered as I110rc thall llseless ill tIle present advanced state of Botany. TIle natural
arrangement has tllerefore been follo,vcd. In defining the orders, it has been deemed
advisable, in 111any instances, to omit cllaracters that belong exclusively to exotic plants.
The groups of orders have been adopted, with but little alteration, from the admirable
Botanical Text Bool{ of my friend Dr. GRAY. As to the names of synonyms of genera and
species, the Flora of North America has been followed, as far as that work is published,
T


PREFACE.

VII

except where changes were necessary. Beyond the Compositre, the Flora is not written
out, nor have all the plUllts of tIle remaining orders been critically studied; so that hereafter changes will probably be Illade in a few of the spcc.ies described in tllcse volumes,

when they are reexanlined to take their })lacc in the larger work of Dr. GRAY and myself.
Remarks on the Inedicinal and econolnieal uses of the plants, as well as miscellaneous
observations, are placed immediately after the detailed descriptions, and not in a separate
part of the work. In tIle tables at the end of tIle second volume will be found a list of all
the natural orders of whicI1 we lluve representatives in the State of New-York, with the
number of species belonging to each, and the proportion ,vhiclt they bear to the whole of
the flo\vering plants, as ,veIl as to tIle t\VO grand divi~ions of tllese. It will be seen that
our most numerous dicoty-Iedonous orders are the RANUNCULACElE, whic.h constitute about
"3\rth of tIle flo\vering plants; the CRUCIFERlE, 4 15"th; the LEGUMINOSlE, "21tjth; ROSACElE,
'215"th; tIle UMBELLIFERlE, :s\,tll; the COMPOSITlE, ~tll; tIte ERICACElE, "314"th; tile LABIATlE,
"31"2d; and SCROPHUL_~RI_<\.CElE,319tl1. Of lllonocotylcdonolls plants, there are but three large
orders, viz. ORCHIDACElE, ,vllicll forn1 about "3J1rth of 011r flowering plants; CYPERACElE, ttll;
and GRAMINElE, T12t11. Tllese proportions \vill vary but little from the average for the
whole Flora of North Anleriea.
We may take a more popular vie,v of tile vegetation of tIle State. The whole number
of flowering plants has been stated to b..e about 1450 species. Of tl1ese about 1200 are
herbaceous, and 150 Inay be regarded as ornaillental. Of woody lliants there are 250
species, including about 80 that attain to the stature of trees, many of wilich are employed
in tIle arts, or are used as fuel. Of plants that are reputed to possess ll1edicinal properties,
we have (native and natllralized) 150 species.
The naturalized plants of the State exceed 160 species. Many of tllem have been introduced from Europe, with grain and otller agricultural products; and among them are to be
found 11108t of our troublesome "reeds. Indeed, tllroughout the Nortllerll States, almost all
the plants that are injurious to the farmer are of foreign origin. MallY llseful species,
likewise, haye beCOlne so tll0rougllly naturalized alld widely spread, tllat tIley eyery where
spring spontaneously from the soil. TIle grasses of our Ineadows, parks, la,vns and roadsides, are, with few exceptions, naturalized European species. TIle following are the
principal kinds: Phleum pratense, .Jlgrostis polymorpha, Jinthox.anthu1n odoratum, Holcus
lanatus, Fes-tuca p1·atensis, Poa annua, P. trivialis, P. pratensis, P. compressa, Dactylls
glomerata, and Lolium pratense.
According to the instructions received with my appointlnent, Illave prepared an 11erbarium of the plants found within the limits of the State. The specinlens are conveniently
arranged for reference in about 50 folio volulues, and are deposited in the Cabinet of

Natllral History at Albany. Six other sets of the plants have also been prepared, which
it is understood are to be presented to public institutions.
It is by no Dleans asserted that all the plants of New-York are described in this Report.
The State embraces an area equal to the whole of Great Britain; and notwithstanding the
assiduous explorations of numerous botanists for many years, additions are still made,


VIII

PREFACE~

almost every year, to tIle Flora of that country. So in the immediate vicinity of NewYor}\:, 'Vllic.ll lias probably beell Inore diligently searched than any otlier region of the same
extent ill tIle United States, frequent accessions are Inade to our list of species, and doubtless 11lany others renlaill to be detected. A considerable number of plants are extremely
local; others disappear, or beCOllle extrelnely scarce for a nUIllber of seasons; and some
"rithcr a ,vay shortly . I fter IJerfect.ing their flo\vers and fruit, so that many species may for
a long tittlc ('~cape d." cction. 1'he parts of tIle State that have been least explored botanically arc tILt' eOllntics \vhicll lie on the borders of Pennsylvania, and the region which has
Ut'c.n appropriately called the northern wilderness, included in our Fourt}l District. Portions
of Long Island, also, arc far frolll being exllausted. At tIle end of the work ,viII be found
a list of suell 1)lants as ,vc expect ,viII be added to Ollr Flora by future observers, with the
}Jarls of tIll' State '\There th(,y ,viII probably be found •.
It is ,vith pleasure that I lnake aeknowledgnlellts to the 11Ulllerous botanical friends who
ha,Te l{indly assisted lne by cOlltribllting specilnens of plants, or information, for this ,vork.
TIle lllost efficient aid 11as been rendered by PETER D. KNIESKERN, 1\1. D., late of Oriskany;
Prof. A. GRAY, 110'V of Harvard University; 11. P. SART\\rELL, 1\1. D. of Penn Yan; and
J. CAREY, Esq. of Ne,\'"-Yor!i:; especially in exploring the ,Yestern and some of the northern
Coullties. I anl also i11debted to 1Vfr. CAREY for 111uch judicious criticislll respecting many
obscure plants. Professors EMMONS and H.ALL, of the Geological Department of the
Survey, supplied lne witll some rare l)lants frOlll their respectiYe districts. Dr. BRADLEY,
of Greece, gave lne valuable infornlation respecting the botany of Monroe and Oneida
counties. Frolll Professor C. DEWEY, I llave receiyed friendly assistance in obtaining a

knowledge of tIle plants aroulld Rocllester. He lIas also supplied me with authentic
specilllens of many species of Carex, described by llim in Sillinlan~s Journal. Mr. GEORGE
\TASEY, of Oriskany, llas sent me sOllle rare plants of Oneida County and other parts of the
State. lVIATTHE'V STEVENSON, M. D., killdly allo,,:ed me to select ,vhat I wished from his
herbariunl, and in {orIller years freely gave me the results of his numerous herborizations
in "'rashington county, where lle resided a long time. To JOHX WRIGHT, 1\1. D., of Troy,
laIn indel)ted for plants collected ill the neigllborhood of tllat city; and to ALLEN WASS,
11. D., for a list of tIle plulltS of Stephentown, Rensselaer County, with their times of
flowering and fructification. EDWARD TUCKERM_'\N, Esq. ., and JONATHAN PEARSON, M. D.,
gave 111e illfornlation respecting several rare plants wllicll they found in the neighborhood
of Scllellectady. CHARLES BENNER, Esq., has giv"en nle the results of his botanical excursions alnong tile Catskill Mountains. To Prof. BAILEY, of ,\rest Point, I am under many
obligatiolls for reillarks on plants of the Higiliands, as well as for specimens, besides assistance ill SOllIe diffiClllt 111icroscopical investigations. Mr. M. B. H.ALSTED, a zealous young
botanist of Newburgll, comlIlunicated to 11le l11any rare plants of Orange County. Mr. O.
R. WILLIS, and Prof. F. C. SCHAFFER, have supplied me witll specimens illustrating the
botany of Long Island. Dr. S. B. MEAD, now of Illinois, has kindly sent me remarks on
some rare plants collected by him in Westcllester County. In exploring the vicinity of
New-York, milch assistance has been given to me by J. CAREY, Esq., and Mr. R. J.


PREFACE.

IX

BROWNNE. Mr. LOUIS MENARD, also, has pointed Otlt to me the localities of various Interesting plants. In addition to all these sources, I llave availed myself of information
received in former years from other botanists WllO have explored various parts of the Stat~,
among whom I would mentioll the following: Major J. LE CONTE, WILLIAM COOPER,
Esq.; ABRAHAM HALSEY, Esq.; the late CASPAR W. EDDY, M. D., and Dr. MITCHELL,
who collected plants growing around New-Yorl{ : and Professor H~DLEY of Geneva, Prof.
AIKIN, the late Professor EATON, Dr. J. EIGHTS, Prof. L. C. BECK, and Dr. J. CRAWE, who
favored me ,vith many rare and interesting plants, chiefly from the nortllern and western

counties. Very important aid, in exuluilling the botany of the Highlands, has been
rendered by J. BARRATT, M. D., who spent several years in that region, and most liberally
supplied me with specilllens and critical observations.
The Survey of the State llad been in progress about two and a half years, befo~e a painter
was engaged for the botanical department; a delay that was owing to tIle difficulty of
obtaining a conlpetent artist. The original plan witll regard to the illustrations, was to
have figured all the plants \vllich are useful in medicine and the arts, besides most of the
ornamental, new, and rare species, and such as \vere otllerwise possessed of interest.
Before the work was cOlnpleted, ho,vever, it was fOllnd that this plan could not be carried
into effect, both on account of tIle expense, and the time required to procure all the
drawings. Many of tIle earlier dra\vings were executed by Miss AGNES MITCHELL, the
remainder by Miss ELIZABETH POOLEY, \vith the exception of a few that were dOlle by Mr.
SWINTON. These are all very respectable artists, but tlley were unaccustonled to make
dis~ections of plants. The lithography was executed at the office of Mr. GEORGE ENDICOTT.
Tllis style of ilillstration is certainly not so well suited for botanical objects as engraving,
but was adopted on account of its great economy. Most of the plates are faithful copies of
the original drawings, and are very creditable to the gentlell1an to whose care this part
of the work was committed.
As regards the typography, I am greatly indebted for its accuracy to the compositor and
proofreader, Mr. J OHN PATTERSON, of the State Printing-office in Albany, \vho has had the
principal charge of this part of the labor.
JOHN TORREY.
NEW..YORK,

[FLORA.]

December, 1842.
BB

•

LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL AUTHORS QUOTED IN THIS WORI{.

Agardh, f.

S1J1t. gen. Lup. Synopsi~ generis Lupini. Lund. 1835.
Ait. Kew. edt 1. Hortus Kewensis; or a Catalogue of Plants cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden a.t Kew. By W.
Aiton. 3 vols. 8vo. London) 1789.
Ait. Kew. cd. 2. The second edition of the preceding work, enlarged. By W. Townsend Aiton. 5 vols. 8vo. London,
1810 - 1813.
Ann. bot. Annals of Botany. By C. Koenig and J. Sims. 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1805 - 1806.
Ann. du mUSt Annales du Museum d'Histoire naturelle. 20 vols. 4to. Paris, 1802 - 1813.
Ann. sc. nat. Annales des Sciences naturelles. Ire serie, 30 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1824 a 1833. Deuxieme serie, 40 vols.
1834 - 1843. Troisieme serie, 1844 - .
Ann. lye. n. ltist. N. Y. Annals of the Lyceum Df Natural History of New-York. 4 vols. 8vo. 1823 - 1837.
Ann. nat. kist. Annals of Natural History. By Sir W. Jardine, Sir W. J. Hooker and others. 4 vols. 8vo. London,
1838 - Ib40.
Archiv. du mUSt Archives du Museum d'Histoire naturelle. 4to. Paris, 1839 - 1844.
Arch. de bot. Archives de Botanique. Par J. A. Guillemin. 2 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1833.
Audub. birds. Birds of America. By J. J. Audubon. 2 vols. fo1. In this magnificent work, many North American
plants are figured.
Bart. corap.jl. Philad. Compendium Florro Philadelphicm. By W. P. C. Barton. 2 vols. 12mo. Philadelphia, 1818.
Bart. veg. mat. med. Vegetable lVlateria Medica of the United States. 2 vols. 4to. Philadelphia, 181 7 - 1819.
Bart.fl. N. Am. A Flora of North America, illustrated by colored figures drawn from nature. 3 vols. 4to. Philadelphia,
1821 - 1824.
Beauv. a~ost. Essai d'une nouvelle Agrostographie i ou nouveaux genres des Graminees. Par A. M. F. J. Palisot de
tieauvais. 1 vol. 8vo. with atlas. Paris, It:l12.
Beck, bot. Botany of tae Northern and Middle States; or a Description of the Plants found in the Northern and Middle
States north of Virginia. 1 vol. 12mo. Albany, 1833.

Benth. Lab. Labiatarum genera et species; or a Description of the Genera and Species of Plants of the Order Labiatw:
with their general history, etc. By George Bentham. 1 vol. 8vo. London, 1832 - 6.
Bigel.fl. Bost. Florula Bostoniensis: A Collection of Plants of Boston and its vicinity, with their generic and specific
characters, etc. By Jacob Bigelow. 1 vol. 8vo. Boston, 1814. Second edition, 1824 (this is the one quoted).
Third edition, 1840.
Biuel. med. bot. American Medical Botany. 3 vols. 8vo. Boston, 1817 - 1821.
mag. The Botanical Magazine. By William Curtis. 12 vols. London, 1787 - 1798. Continued by J. Sims.
1799 - 1826. Continued by Sir W. Jackson Hooker. 1827 - 1844.
Bot. 'reg. S. Edwards's Botanical Register: the descriptions by B. Ker. 8vo. London, 1815. Continued by Dr. Lindley to the presen t time.
Bot. rep. The Botanist's Repository for new and rare plants. By H. Andrews. 10 vols. 4to. London, 1797 et seq.
Br01./J1lJ (R). Prodromus Florm Novm Hollandire et Insulre Van Dieman. 1 vol. 8vo. London, 1810.
Corn. Canad. Jac. Cornuti, Canadensium plantarum aliarumque nondum editarum historia. 1 vol. 4to. Paris, 1635.
Darlingt. Jlorul. Cest. Florula Cestrica : An Essay towards a Catalogue of the Phrenogamous Plants, native and naturalized, growing in the vicinity of the Borough of Westchester, in Chester county, Pennsylvania. By Wi!..
liam Darlington. 1 vol. 8vo. Westchester, 1826.
Darlingt. fl. Cest. Flora Cestrica : An Attempt to enumerate and describe the Flowering and Filicoid Plants of Chestel'
County in the State of Pennsylvania, &c. By William Darlington. 1 vol. 8vo. Westchester, 1837.
Did. se. nat. Dictionnaire des Sciences naturelles. 60 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1804 - 1830.
DC. prod.,. Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, etc. Auctore Aug. Pyramo De Candolle. 8vo. Paris.
Vol. 1, 1824; vol. 2, 1825; vol. 3, 1828; vol. 4, 1830 ~ vol. 5, 1836; vol. 6, 1837; vol~ 7, pars 1, 1838 i vol. 7,.
pars 2, 1839. Vol. 8, Auctore Alph. De Candolle, 1ts44~

Bot.

lFLORA]

C


x

LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL AUTHORS

DC. $yst. Regni vegetabilis systema naturale, etc. Au~tore Aug.. Pyramo ~e Candolle. 2 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1818 - 1821.
Deless. ic. Benj. Delessert, leones selectm pJantarum In syst. uruvers. descnplarum. 4 ~ols., 4to~ 1.820 - 1840.
Don (G.) gen. syst. A General System of Gardening and Botany, &c., founded on Miller s Dictionary, and arranged

according to the natural system. 4 vols. 4to. ~ondon, 1838.
DiU. !tort. EttA. Joh. Jac. Dillenius, I-Iortus Eltha.mensis. 2 vols. fol. London, 1732:
D1tn. Sol. Histoire naturclle, meJicale ct econoDllque des Solanum, et des genres qUI ont ete confondus avec eU%. 1
vol. 4to. Montpellier,]8 1 6 . .
.
Eat. man. A Manual of Botany for the Northern and MIddle States. By Amos Eaton. Ed.. ~J 181~ j ed;.2, 1818 ~
cd. 3, 1822; cd. 4, 1824 i cd. 5, .... jed. 6, 1B33 jed. 7, 1836. The title of the 8th edItion (1~0) 18 changed
to that of cc North Aluencan Botany," under the joint authorship of Prof. Eaton and John Wright, M. D.
Edinb. phil. jour. Edinburgh Philosophical Journal. Conducted by Dr. Brewster and Prot: Jameson. 10 vols. Bvo.
Edinburgh, 1~19 - 1824. Continued by Prof. Jameson alone from 1824 till 1826.
Edinb. new phil. jour. A continuation of the same journal. 1826 et seq.
Ehrk. beitr. Frid. Ehrhart, Bcitragc zur naturkunde. 7 vola. 8vo. IIanover, 1787 - 1792.
Ell. sk. A Sketch of the Botany of South-Carolina and Georgia. By Stephen Elliott. 2 vols. Bvo. Charleston, S. C.
1817 - 1824.
Enol. bot. English Botany. By Sir J. E. Smith and J. Sowerby. 36 vols. 8vo. London, 1790 - 1828.
Engl. bot. supple Supplement to the English Botany. The descriptions by Sir W. J. Hooker and others. 1831 et 6e~.
End/. gen. Genera. Plantnrum f5cCUndUnl ordines naturales disposita. Auctore Stephano Endlicher. 1 vol. 8vo. Vmdebonre, 1836 - 1840.
Endl. gen. supple 2. Mantissa Botanica, sistens gcnerum plantarum supplementum secundum. 1842.
Endl. gen. supple 3. Mantissa Botanica altera, sistcns generum plantarum supplementum tertium. 1843.
Fl. Dan. leones plantarum sponte nascentium in H.egnis Danire et Norvegire, &c. 12 vols. fol. Hafnim. Vol. 1 - 3,
Auetore G. C. Oeder, lit)! - 70; vol. 4 - 5, auct. O. F. Mueller; vol. 6 -7, auct. M. Vahl, 1787 -1805; vol.
8 - 1:3 et seq., auct. J. W. Bornemann, ]806 - 1829.
Gart.fr. Jos. Grertner, ell' fructibus et seminibus plantarum. 2 vols. 4to. Lipsim, 1788 - 1791.
G«rt.f carp. G. F. Grertner, Carpologia. 1 vol. 4to. 1805 - 1807.

Gra?l, ~ram. 4· cyp. North Alneriean Graminere and Cyperacere. By Asa Gray_ 2 vo]s. fol. New-York, 1834 - 5.
Gron,.fl. I Tirg. J. F. Grono\'ius, Flora Virginica, exhibens plantes quas J. Clayton in Virginia collegit. 1 vol. avo.
LUCTd. Bat. 1743; ed. 2, 1762 (the latter is the one quoted).
Hook. fxot.;r. Exotic Flora. By Sir W. Jackson Hooker. 3 vols. 8vo. Edinburgh, 1825 - 7.
Hook. bot. misc. Botanical Miscellany j containing figures and descriptions of such plants as recommend themselves by
their novelty, rarity or history. By the same author. 3 vols. 8vo. London, 1830 - 1833.
Hook. fl. BtJr.-Am. Flora Boreali-Americana; or the Botany of the northern parts of British America. By the same
author. 2 vols. 4to. 1829 - 1840.
Hook. j()ur. bot. J ournnl of Botany; being a second series of the Botanical Miscellany. By the same author. LondoD.
llo)\,O.
Vol. 1, 1834; vol. 2 - 4, 1840 - 1842.
Book. Lond. jour. bot. The London Journal of Botany; being a new series of the Journal of Botany. By the same
author. 8vo. London, 1842 et seq.
Hook. ic. leones Plantarum; or figures, with brief descriptive characters and remarks, of new or rare plants, selected
from the author's herbarium. 6 vols. 8vo. London, 1836 - 1844.
Hook. comp. bot. mag. Companion to the Botanical Magazine. 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1835 - 6.
Hook. sp. Fil. Species Filicum; or descriptions of all known ferns; illustrated with pl~tes. 8vo. London, Parts 1 and
2, 18,14; to be continued.
Hook. Brit.fl. The British Flora. Vol. 1, comprising the Flowering Plants and Ferns. 4th ed. 8vo. London, 1838.
Hook. q.. Gr. if. jii. Icones Filicum. By Sir W. J. Hooker and R. K. Greville. ~ vo]s. fo1. London, 1827 - 1830.
Hort. trans. Transactions of the London Horticultural Society. 7 vols. 4to. London, 1815 - 1831. New series, 1831
and continued.
Horc?, , horl. mag. The Magazine of Horticulture, Botany, &c. By C. M. Hovey. Boston, 18 .•. and continued.
H. B. 4· Kilt. nov. gen. Humboldt, Bonpland & Kuntb" Nova genera et species plantarum. Paris, 7 vols. 4to. 18151825.
H. B. 4· Kilt. syn. Synopsis plantarum cquinoctialium orbis novi. Auctore C. S. Kunth. 4 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1822 - IB25.
JO'ur. acado P!lil. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 7 vols. 8vo. Philadelphia, 1817 and
continued.
Juss. gen. Antonii Laurentii de Jussieu: Genera Plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita. 1 vol. 8vo. Paris,
1789.
Kunin, cnWIil. Enur~eratio Plantarum ~~mnium ~ucusque cognitarum, secundum familias naturales disposita, etc. Auctore C. S. Kunth. Vol. 1, 1~33; vol. '-') 18 ..• ; vol. 3, 1841; vol. 4, 1843.

Kun:.;c, car. Suppleluentc der Riedgracser zu Schkuhr's monographie, etc. 3 fasc. 8vo. 1841 - 1843.
Lam. diel. Encyclopedic methouique. Botaniquf', par J. Bapt. Monet de la Mark. 4 vols. 4to. 1783 - 1796.
Lam. ill. Illustration des genres. PI. 900, et 2 vol. de tcxfe. 1791 et suiv.
Lamb. Pin. A Description of the Genus Pinus. By Aylmer Bourke Lambert. 1 vol. fo1. London, 1803; second
edit. in 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1832.
Lehm. Asperij Plan.tre~. fa~ilia Aspe~ifoli~rum nuciferre, descripsit J. G. C. Lehman. 4to. Berlin, 1818.
.1Vuot . Generls N,tcotI~~arum hlstona. 1 vol: 4to. Hamburgii, 1820.
L .Hent. Corn. C. L: L HentIer: ~ornus, seu speclnle.n. botanicum, etc. 1 vol. fol. Paris, 1788.
Ltnn. sp. Carolus Lionreus: SpecIes Plantarum. EdltlO 1. 2 vols. 8vo. Holmie 1753. Ed 2 2 vols avo Holmi tn
1762-l763.
'
.,..
0;:,
Linn. mant. Mantissa Plantarum. 1 vol. 8vo. Holmim, 1767.

L;hm.


QUOTED IN THIS WORK.

XI

Lin/,,,. f suppZ. Carolus Linnmus filius: Supplementum Plantarum. 1 vol. 8vo, Brunsvigm, 1781.
Linn. tram. Transactions of the Linnman Society of London. 17 vols. 4to. 1791 and continued.
Linncea. Ein Journal fur die Botanik, &C. Edited by D. F. L. von Schlechtendahl. 17 vols. Bvo. 1826 - 1844 and
continued.
Lodd. hot. cah. The Botanical Cabinet. By Conrad Loddiges & Sons. 20 vols. 8vo. & 4to. London, 1817 - 1834.
Less. syn. Synopsis generum CompositarulD, earumque disposition is novre tentamen monographis multarum Capensium
interjectis. Auctorc C. F. Lessing. 1 vol. 8vo. Berolini, 1832.
Lindl. gen. et sp. Orch. The Genera and Species of OrchideouB Plants. By J. Lindley. 1 vol. 8vo. 1830 - 1840.

Loud. ene. pl. An Encyclopmdia of Plants,~. Edited by J. C. Loudon; the descriptions by J. Lindley. 1 vol. Bvo.
London, 1829.
Loud. ene. pl. supple The first additional Supplement to Loudon's Encyclopmdia of Plants. EJited by J. C. Loudon'
prepared by W. H. Baxter, and revised by George Don. 1 vol. 8vo. LonJon, 1841.
'
Loud. arh. Bnt. Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum. 4 vols. of letter-press, and 4 vols. of 8vo. and 4to. plates. By
J. C. Loudon. London, 1835 - 1838.
Loud. ene. t'r. ~ skr. An Encycloprediaof Trees and Shrubs, being the Arboretum et Fruticetuln Britannicwn abridged.
By J. C. Loudon. 1 vol. 8vo. London, lR42.
Marsh. arh. Arbustum AmericanulD: 1'ho American Grove, or an alphabetical catalogue of fOfcst tree8 and shrubs,
native of the American United States. By Humphrey Marshall. 1 voJ. 12mo. Philadelphia} 1785.
Med. repose The Medical Repository. Rvo. Ne\v-Yorle, 1797 and continued.
Mem. du muse l\tlemoires du Museum d'histoirc naturelle.
Mem. de l'acad. St. Pclcrsh. Memoires de l'AcaJemies des Sciences de St. Petersbourg. . .. vols. 4to. 18 •. - 1844.
Mem. de la soc. phys. et d'IList. nat. Gencv. Memoires de la ~ocil'te de physique et d'histoire nature lIe de Geneve. 9 vols.
4to. 1824 - 1844.
Michx. ft. Flora Boreali-Americana, sistens characteres plantarum quas in America septentrionali collegit et detcxit
Andreas Michaux. 2 vols. 8vo. Paris J 1803. Reprinted in Paris, 1820.
Michx.f. sylv. The North American Sylva; or a description of the forest trees of the United States, Canada and Nova
Scotia. By F. Andrew ~Iichaux. 2 vols. 8vo. Paris, 1819. This is a translation by the late Augustus L.
Hillhouse, Esq. of the cc Histoire des Arbres forestiers d(' l'Amerique septentrionale," which was published in
Paris in 1810 - 1813, in 3 volumes, with some additions by the author. The illustrations are from the original

P1;~~~es

Mill. U.
of plants described in the Gardener's Dictionary. By Philip Miller. 2 vols. fo1. London, 1760.
Moq.-Tand. Cheno-p. Chenopodearum monographica enumeratio. Auctore A. Moquin-TandoD. 1 vol. 8vo. Paris, 1840.
Muhl. eat. Catalogus Plantarum Americm Septentrionalis, huc usque cognitarum J in<1igenarum et cicurum, etc. By
Henry Muhlenberg.

1 vol. 8vo. Lancaster, 1813.

Second edition, Philadelphia, 1818; the latter is the one

quotedD· escrlptIo
. . ub
' gramlnum
.
'
A
'
.
Ii'
.
MUllN. gram.
enor
etpIant arum cal
amlnarum
merlcre
septentnona
s In d'Igenarum et clcurum.
Auctore Henrico Muhlenberg. 1 vol. 8vo. Philadelphia, 1817.
Nees) .dst. Genera et Species Asterearum. Recensit, descriptionibus et animadversionibus illustra,;t, etc. Auct. C. G.
~ees ab Esenbeck. 1 vol. 8vo. Norimbergre, 1833.
Nees, Agrost. Bras. Agrostographica Brasiliensis. Stuttgardire. 1 vol. 8vo. 1829. This forms part of Martius's Flora
Brasiliensis.
Neue S(,hrift. ges. nat.fr. Berol. Der gesellschaft naturforschender freunde zu Berlin, neue schriften. 4 vol. 1795 &, seq.
Nutt. sylv. The North American Sylva; or a description of the forest trees of the United States, Canada and Nova
Scotia, not described in the work of F. Andrew Michaux J and containing all the forest tree,:, discovered in the

Rocky Mountains, the Territory of Oregon down to the shores of the Pacific, &c. By Thomas Nuttall.
Philadelphia. 8vo. Vol. 1, 1842.
Nutt. gen. The Genera of North American Plants J and a catalogue of the species to the year 1817. By Thomas Nuttall. 2 vols. 12mo. Philadelphia, 1818.
Nouv. ann. du muse Nouvelles Annales du Museum de I'Histoire Naturelle. 1834 - 1839.
Pers. syn. Synopsis Plantarum, seu Enchiridium Botanicum, complectens enumerationem systematicum specierum hucusque cognitarum. Curante C. H. Persoon. 2 vols. 12mo. Paris, 1805 - 1807.
Poir. dict. Encyclopedie methodique: Dictionnaire de Botanique, continue par J. L. M. Poiret. 4 vols. 4to. Paris,
1804 - 1808.
Poir. supple Encyclopedie methodique: Supplement au Dictionnaire de Botaniqtlc. 4 voIs. 4to. Paris, 1810 - 1816.
Presl, pterid. Tentamen Pteridographire J seu Gencrum Filicaccarum, &C. Auctore Car. Bor. Pres!' 1 vol. 8\"0. Pragfe,
1836.
PurskJfl. Flora Americre Septentrionalis; or a systematic arrangement and description of the plants of North America.
By Frederick Pursh. 2 yo1s. 8vo. London J 181 Ll,
Raj ann. nat. Annals of Nature, for lR~O. 8vo. pamphlet. Lexington, 1820.
Rad. Py'J"ol. Dissertatio de Pyrola et Chimaphila. Auctore ~ustus Radius. 1 Y01. 4to. Lipsire, 1821.
Red. Lil. Les Liliacees, par P. J. Redoute. 8 vols. fo1. ~ans, 1802 - 1816. Vol. 1 - 4, texte par De Candolle; vol.
5 - 7, par F. De la Roche; vol. 8, par A. R. Dehle.
. .
Ruh. (L. C.) Conif. Memoires sur les Coniferes et les Cycadees: pub:ie par Achille Richard fils. 1 vol. 4to. Stuttgard et Pans, 1826.
Ro:m. 4'- SchuU. syst. Car. a Linne, Systema vegetabilium, curantibus J. A. Rremer. 8vo. Stutgardire. Vol. 1 et 2,
1817; vol. 3, 1818; vol. 4, 1819; vol. 5 (a Schultes solo), 1819; vol. 6, 1820; vol. 7, pa.rs 1 (a J. A. Schultes
et J ul. H. Schultes), 1829, pars 2, 1830.
Sekk. Car. Christ. Schkuhr, Beschreibung der Reidgraesser. 1 vol. of text and 1 of plates. 8vo. Leipsig, 1802 - 1806.
7.7


XII

LIST OF AUTHORS QUOTED IN THIS WORK.

Schult. r/tant. l. J. A. Schultes, Mantissa in vol. 1. Syst. vegetabil. ex Rrem. & Schult. 1 vol. 8vo. Stutgardire J 1822SclLult. manto 2. Mantissa in vol. 2. 1 vol. 8vo. 1824.
Schult. 'Inant. 3. J. A. Schultes et J. H. Schultes, Mantissa in vol. 3. 1 vol. 8vo. 1827.
Scltreh. gen. C. Linne, Genera PJantarum, cur. J. C. D. Schreber 1 vol. 8vo. Francofurti ad Mrenum, 1789.
Sill. jour. The American J ournnl of Science and the Arts. By Benjamin Silliman. 47 vols. 8vo. 1816 - 1844, and
continued.
Spr,'n~. $yst. C. Linn:ri, Systema Vegetabilium, edt 16, curante Curtio Sprengel. 4 vols. 8vo. Gottingce, 1821 - 1827.
Spreng. neue ent. K. Sprengel, Neue cntJeckungen in ganzen umfang der pflanzenkundc. 3 vols. 12mo. Leipzig,
1820 - 1822.
Sw. Brit. fl. ~artl. The British Flower GarJcn. Commenced in 1823. Conducted by R. Sweet, and afterwards by
D. Don tiJI 1837.
Trans. AliJ. insl. Transactions of the Albany Institute. 3 parts, 8vo. Albany, 1828 - 1829.
7"rans. Amer. ph. soc. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 6 vols. 4to. 1771 - 1809. New series, 9
vols. ]~lG - 1~44, and continued.
Torr. cat. 1'1 N. Y. Catalogue of Pla.nts growing within thirty miles of the city of New-York. By John Torrey. 1
vol. 8\'0. Albany, 1819.
Turr.fl. A FJora of tIll' Northern and Middle Sections of the United States, &C. By John Torrey. 1 vol. 6vo. NewI?ork, 18~4.
Torr. compo CODlpcndiulll of the Flora of the Northern and Middle States. By John Torrey. 1 voL 12mo. NewI"ork, 1826.
Trin. diss. grill/I. C. B. Trinius, Dissprtatio de graminibu8 unifloris et sesquitloris. 1 vol. 8vo. Petropoli, 1824.
lr6'lU. korl. Cels. Description des pIaJltt's nouvelles ou peu connues du jarilin de J. 1\1. Cels, avec figures. Par E. P.
V cntenat. 1 Yul. fol. Paris, 1800.
JVlllt. fl. Car. ~"lora Caroliniana. Auetorc Tholll. Walter. 1 vo]. 8vo. London, 1788.
JVang. Amer. P. A. J. V\Tang.·nhc-iin, Anpilanzung Nordanlericanischer holzarten. 1 vol. fol. Gottengen, 1787.
JVern. trans. 1\ fClll0irs of the 'Vernerian Natural History Society. 5 vols. 8vo. 1809 - ).';;;2.5.
'Vats. th·ndr. DcnJrologia Britannica; or Trees and Shrubs that will live in the open air of Britain. 2 vols. 8vo.
Lonoon, V":25.
JViUd. sp. Car. Linllf' Species Plantarunl, exhibentes plantes rite cognita5 ad genera relatas, etc. Curante Car. Lu(lov.
'Villdcno\v. Svo. Berolini. ,tol. 1, pars 1, 17~7, pars 2, 17fJ8; vol. 2, 179a; vol. 3, pars 1, 1800, pars 2,1801 1
pars 3, 1803; vol. /1, pars ], 1805, pars 2, 1,,-;07; vol. 5, 1810.
JJ""illd. hart. Bfrol. Bortus Berolinensis. Auct. C. L. \rilldeno\v. 1 vol. fol. Berolini, 1806 - 1810.
IVilld. enll771. EnUllll'ratio plantaruln horti bot. Berolinensis. 2 vols. 8vo. Berolini, 1809. Supple 1813.

Traltl, enum. Enumeratio plantarUU1. Auet. Mart. Vah!. 2 vols. 8vo. Haunice. Vol. 1, 1805; vol. 2, 1806.


FLORA.
OF TilE

STATE OF NEW-YORK.
DIVISION

II

01' PH~NOGAMOUS

FLOWERING

PLANTS.

PLANTS FURNISHED 'VITH FLOWERS (CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF STAMENS AND
PISTILS), AND PRODUCING SEEDS.

CLASS I. EXOGENOUS

OR

DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS.

Stem ,vith distinct bark and pith, with an intervening circle of woody fibre; the
latter increasing in diameter by the allnual deposition of llew layers of wood
on the outside, forming concentric zones, whicll are traverse(l by medullary
rays from the pith to the circumference; the bark growillg by new layers

within. Leaves commonly articulated to the stem; the veins, alld those of
the floral envelopes branching and reticulated. Sepals alld petals most
commonly in fOUfS and fives, very rarely in threes. Ovules produced ,vithin
an ovary, and fertilized by the action of pollen through the medium of a
stigma. Embryo with two opposite cotyledons.
SUBCLASS

I.

POLYPETALOUS EXOGENOUS PLANTS.*

Floral envelopes consisting of both calyx and corolla; the petals distinct.

* In this subclass are included a few apetalous genera. and species, and also some in which the petals are united; while
there are excluded from it a small number of plants in which the petals are distinct to the base: for it must be remembered
that the subdivisions of our classes are to a considerable degree artificial; and in a natural arrangement, plants must Dot
be separated which agree in important characters, and only differ in minor points.
[FLORA.]

1


2

GROUPS AND ORDERS.
CONSPECTUS OF THE GflOUPS AND ORDERS.

1. Ovaries several or numerous (in Berbcridacctc solitary), distinct; ,vhen in several rows, sometimes cohering
together, but not united into a compound pistil. Petals nnJ t=;taJnens inserted on the receptacle.
'Ie Stamens or pistils (one or both) nwncrous.

Oruer 1. RANUNCULACElE. Sepnls 3 - 6, usually 5, dcciJuous. P(·tals 3 - 15. Anthers cxtrorse (sometimes none).
Ovaries rarely few, tlistinct.-Ilerbaccous (rarely shrubby) plants, with acrid watery juice; leaves
without stipules.
2. MAGNOLIACElE. Sepals 3 - 6, ucciJuous. Petals 3 to nJany. Anthers adnate, elongated. Carpels in one or
several rows, often more or less coht·ring.- Trees or shrubs, ,vith large and usually coriaceous
punctatc leaves; stipulcs lucJubranaccous. Flowers solitary, generally large and fragrant.
3. ANONACElE. Sepals 3. Petals G. Sceu::; with rwninatcd aILuIDcn.- Trees or shrubs, with alternate entire leave5
destitute of stipules.

GROUP

** Stamens

fcw. Pistils very few or solitary.
Flo\vcrs small, usually dicccious or polygamous. Sepals 3 - 12, in 1 - 3 rows. Petals as
many as the sepals, or fewer (soilletillJC's none). Carpels usually several; only one or two arriving
at maturity, and forming one-secJ(·d berries or tlrupes.- Climbing or twining frutescent plants,
with alternate palmately veined lea Vl~S.
5. BERBERIDACElE. Flowers perfect. Stamens opposite the petals; cells of the anther usually opening by valves..
Ovary solitary, simple.- Shrubs or herbs, ubually without stipules.

4.

ME~ISPERMACE1E.

2. Ovaries scveral, either distinct or united into a compound pistil of several cells. Stamens usually numerous,
inserted on the receptacle or torus.- Aquatic heros.
* Carpels not united into a compound ovary. Leaves centrally peltate..
6. CABO~IBACElE. Torus small; ovules 2 or several in C'J.ch carpel, inserted on the dorsal suture.
7. NELUMBIACElE. Torus large, turbinate; the ovaries immersed in its disk, each with a solitary ovule.

GROUP

** Ovary compound; the ovules covering the dissepiments.
8. N YMPHlEACElE. Stigmas united in a radiated disk.
*** Ovary compound;
9.

SARRACEN IACElE.

the placentre in the axis.
Leaves hollow, pitcher-shaped.

3. Ovary compound, with parietal placentre. Calyx not adherent to the ovary; the stamens and pistils inserted
on the receptacle. Leaves not dotted.
* Styles or stigmas united.
t Sepals 2, or rarely 3, deciduous.
10. PAPAVERACElE. Petals 4, equal. Stamens nUUlerous (rarely few). Seeds albuminous. Juice milky or colored.
11. FUMARIACElE. Petals 4, irregular. Stamens 6, united in 2 parcels. Pod one-celled.

GROUP

] 2.
13.

t t Sepals and petals 4, or rarely 6.
Stamens 6, two of them shorter than the others. Pod ~celled.
C.APPARIDACElE. Stamens 6 - 32; C\vhen 6, not tetrauynamous.) Pod one-celled.

CRUCIFERlE.

Seeds kidney-shaped.

ttt Sepals 5 (rarely 3), persistent.
14.
15.

VIOLACEJE.

16.

DROSERACElE.

CISTACEJE.

Petals 5, irregular. Stanlens 5.
Petals fugacious, regular. Stamens usually numerous.

** Styles
GROUP

or stigmas separate.
Stamens few. Leaves circinnate, usually with glandular hairs.

4. Ovary compound, with the placentre parietal, or ~ - !i-~f'lled from their meeting in the axis; styles distinct, or
partly united. JEstivation of the calyx imbricated.
with a straight embryo, and little or no albunlen.

Stamens and petals inserted on the receptacle. Seeds
'

Stamens usual1y numerous and polyadelphous.
stipules.

Leaves dotted.- Shrubs or herbs, without

Stamens as many or twice as many as the petals.
Small annual \veeds, with axillary flowers.

Seeds attached to a persistent central axis.-

17.

HYPERICACElE.

18.

ELATINACElE.


3

GROUPS AND ORDERS.

5. Ovary compound, one-celled with a free central placenta, or several-celled with the placentm in the axis. Calyx

GROUP

19.
20.

21.

free from the ovary, or nearly so. Embryo coiled arounu the outsitle of the albumen.
Sepals and petals equal in number. Stipules none.
ILLEcEBRACElE. Sepals and petals equal in number, the latter often '\vanting. Stipules scnrious.
PORTULACACElE. Sepals 2 - 3. Petals 5. Stipules nonc.
CARYOPHYLLACElE.

6. Ovary compound, several-celIed, with the placentro in the axis; or the numerous carpels more or less coherent

GROUP

with each other, or with the central axis. Calyx free from the ovary, \vith a valvatc restivation. Stamens
numerous, monadelphous, frec, or somewhat polyadelphous, inserted with the petals into the receptacle or
base of the calyx.
22. MALVACElE. Stamens monndelphous; anthers one-celled.
23. TILIACElE. Stanlens distinct, or somewhat polyadelphous; anthers 2-cclJt'd.
7. Ovary compound, or of several carpels adhering to a central axis, free from the calyx J which is mostly imbricated in restivation. Stamens as ulany or twice as rllanyas the petals, inserted on the receptacle, commonly
monadelphous at the base. Flowers perfect.

GROUP

* Flowers

regular, or nearly so. Sepals inlbricatc.
Ovary of 3 - 5 united carpels, each in the capsule spuriously 2-cellcd by a false partition from the
back j the spurious cells with a single ovule.
25. GERANIACElE. Carpels 5, one-seeded; styles cohering to the elongated axis J from which they at length separate
by twisting or curling back froln below upwards. Seeds without albumen.
26. OXALIDACElE. Carpels 5, commonly several-seedcd 1 united in a membranaceous 5-cclled capsule. Seeds arillate,

albuminous. Trifoliolate.

24.

LINACElE.

27.

BALSAMINACElE.

28.

LIMNANTHACElE.

** Flowers

irregular.
Sepals 5; the ~ upper ones commonly united into one; the lower one spurred.
united in pairs. Stamens 5. Capsule bursting elastically.

Petals 4,

*** Flowers

regular. Sepals valvate.
Stamens twice as many as the petals. Carpels 3 - 5, distinct, united by their styles, in fruit
forming fleshy achenia: Seeds without albumen. Leaves pinnatifid.

8. Ovary compound, with from 2 to several cells; or carpels several, and more or less united by their styles. Calyx
free. Petals as many as the sepals, or rarely wanting. Stamens as many or twice as many as the sepals,

GROUP

inserted into the receptacle or base of the calyx. Flowers often dicecious or polygamous.
Stamens as many as the petals. Ovary one-celled, with 3 styles or stigmas and a single
ovule. Leaves not dotted. Albumen none.
30. ZANTHOXYLACEJE. Carpels 2 or more, separate or united; seeds one or two in each cell or carpel. Seeds
albuminous.

29.

GROUP

ANACARDIACElE.

9. Ovary compound, 2 - 3-lobed, 2 - 3-celled, free from the calyx. Petals (except in Aceraaa) irregular, usually
one fewer than the sepals, or sometimes wanting. Stamens definite, distinct, inserted on or around a hypo-

gynous disk. Seeds destitute of albumen.- Mostly trees or shrubs.
Flowers regular. Fruit formed of 2 cohering samaroo.
32. HIFPOCASTANACElE. Fruit large, roundish, dehiscent, with 1 - 3 very large seeds.

31.

GROUP

ACERACElE.

Leaves digitate.

10. Ovary compound, 2 - 5-celled. Calyx free from or adherent to the base of the ovary. Petals and stamens
equal in number to the lobes of the calyx, and inserted into its base or throat, or upon the disk that covers
it. Seeds albuminous.- Trees or shrubs. Flowers regular.

* Stamens
33.

CELASTRACElE.

34.

RHAMNACElE.

35.

VITACElE.

alternate with the petals.
Calyx imbricated. Seeds usually arillate.

** Stamens opposite the petals.

Calyx valvate.
Ovary usually coherent with the tube of the calyx, mostly 3-celled, with a single ovule in each
cell.
Calyx free. Ovary mostly 2-celled, with 2 ovules in each cell.

1-

4

GROUPS AND ORDERS.
11. Ovary compound, 2-cellcd. Sepals and petals very irregular. Stamens tnonadelphous, the tube offilamenta
split on one side; anthers opening by a terminal pore. Seeds albuminous.
36. POLYGALACElE. Character the same as that of the group..

GROUP

12. Ovary simple and solitary. Corolla. papilionaceous or irregular, sometimes regular. Fruit a legume. Seeds
destitute of albumen.
37. LEGUMINOSlE: Suborder Papilionacea. Corolla papilionaceous, rarely almost regular; the mstivation imbricated.
Stamens inserted with the petals on the base of the calyx.

GROUP

13. Ovaries one or soveral, simple and distinct, or combined into a compound ovary, with two or more cells, and
tho placentro in the axis. Flowers regular. Petals and (distinct) stamens inserted on the calyx. Albumen
none.
38. ROSACElE. Calyx (except in the suborder Pomacea:) free from the ovaries. Stamens usually numerous. Ovaries
with solitary or few ovules. Styles distinct. Leaves alternate, usually with conspicuous stipules,
which very often adhere to the petiole.
39. MELASTOMACElE. Calyx adhering to the angles of the ovary. Stamens 8 - 12. Anthers elongated, mostly
appendaged and opening by pores; in mstivation, inflexed, and contained in tubular spaces formed
by the adhesion of the ovary with the nerves of the calyx. Leaves opposite, ribbed, not dotted.
40. LVTHRACElE. Calyx tubular, enclosing the 2 - 4-celled ovary, but free from it. Stamens definite; anthers
opening longitudinally. Styles united into one. Capsule membranaceous, the dissepiments often
obliterated.
<-11. ONAGRACElE. Calyx-tube adherent to the (usually 4-celled) ovary. Petals mostly 4, with as many or twice as
many stamens. Styles united; stigmas 4 or united.

GROUP

14. Ovary compound, one-celled, with parietal placentre. Petals and stamens inserted in the throat of the calyx.
Flowers perfect. Calyx adherent to the ovary.
42. CACTACElE. Sepals and petals numerous, confounded. Fruit baccate.- Succulent and usually leafless plants.
43. GROSSULACElE. Calyx-lobes, petals and stamens 5.- Shrubs, mostly spiny or prickly. Leaves palmately lobed.

GROUP

15. Ovary compound, with the calyx adherent. Fruit a pepo.
triadelphous; anthers long, sinuous.
44. CUCURBITACElE. Character same as that of the group.

GROUP

Corolla usually monopetalous.

Stamens di-

16. Ovaries 2 or more, many-ovuled, distinct or more or less united. Calyx free from the ovary, or the tube
partly (rarely wholly) adherent to the ovary. Petals and stamens (mostly definite) inserted on the calyx.
Seeds numerous, albuminous.
45. CRASSULACElE. Calyx free. Ovaries always as many as the sepals, distinct, or rarely partly united, follicular
in fruit.
46. SAXIFRAGACElE. Calyx often partly adherent. Ovaries mostly 2, usually united below, distinct at the summit.

GROUP

17. Ovary compound, 2- (rarely 3 - 5-) celled, with a single ovule suspended from the summit of each cell.

Stamens (with one exception) as many as the petals and lobes of the adherent calyx.
47. HAl\1AMELACEJE. Summit of the ovary free. Capsule Ioculicidal.- Shrubs with alternate stipulate leaves.
48. UMDELLIFERlE. Styles 2. Carpels 2, separating at maturity. Albumen horny.- Herbs, with the in1lorescence
in umbels.
49. ARALIACElE. Styles 3 to 15 (rarely 2). Carpels mostly baccate, not separable. Albumen fteshy.- Herbs with
the inflorescence in umbels.
50. CORNACElE. Flowers tctramerous. Styles united into one. Fruit a ~celled drupe.- Trees or shrubs with
opposite leaves, Flowers in cymes.

GROUP


RANUNCULACEiE.

Cr"EMATIS.

5

1. Ovaries several or numerous (in Berberidacere and a fe10 other cases
solitary), distinct; when in several r01VS, sOlnetillzes col~ering togetl~er, but not
united into a cOlnpound lJistil. Stamens and lJistils inserted on tlt.e recclJtacle
(h.ypogynous). Seeds albulninOlts.

GROUP

ORDER

I. RANUNCULACElE. Juss.

TIlE CROWFOOT TRIBE.

Calyx of 3 to 6 (but usually 5) distinct decidllollS sepals, which (except in
Clematis) are imbricated in restivation. Petals 3 to 15, sometimes irregular
or deformed, occasionally absent. Stamens indefinite, distinct (very rarely
definite). Ovaries numerous (rarely few or solitary), distinct; ovules solitary
or several, anatropous. Carpels eitller dry acllenia, or baccate, or follicular.
Seeds solitary or several. Embrj·o minute, at the base of fleshy or horn~y·
albumen.- Herbaceous plants, rarely shrubs, sometimes climbing, with an
acrid watery juice. Leaves alternate (opposite in Clelnatis), usually palmately
or ternately divided, without stipllles.
CONSPECTUS OF THE TRIBES.
Tribe

I.

Petals flat or wanting. Anthers mostly extrorse. Achenia numerous, caudate or subulate with
Seed suspended.
R_U~NCULE1E. Petals with a small nectariferous scale, pore or gland at the base inside. Anthers extrorse.
Achenia numerous. Seed erect, or sometimes suspended.
HELLEBORElE. Petals irregular, often bilabiate or tubular, nectariferous; sometimes wanting. Calyx petaloid. Anthers mostly extrorse. Carpels few (rarely solitary), follicular, \vith several seeds.
CIMICIFUGEE. Sepals petaloid. Petals (dilated sterile filaments or staminodia 1) 3 - 6. Anthers introrse or
innate. Carpels few, sometimes solitary, rarely numerous, follicular or baccate, and several-seeded; or
sometimes indehiscent and one-seeded.
HYDRASTIDElE. Sepals 3, petaloid, caducous. Anthers innate. Ovaries numerous, ~-ovuled. Carpels 1 2-seeded, baccate, in a globose head.
ANEMONElE.

the style.

Tribe II.
Tribe III.

Tribe IV.

Tribe V.

TRIBE

I. ANEMONE./E.

CLEMA.TIDE£

AND

Torr.

ANEMONE£.

cJ- Gr.
DC.

Petals flat or wanting. Anthers mostly ext1 0rse. Achenia numerous, caudate, subulate or
mucronate with the persistent style. Seed suspended.
4

1. CLEMATIS.

Linn.; DC. Syst. 1. p.31.

J7IRGIN'S BOJVER.

[Named from the Greek, klema, a shoot or tendril; in allusion to the climbing habit of the genus.]

Involucre none, or resembling a calyx and situated close to the flower.
in restivation valvate, or sometimes wit.h the edges bent inwards.

Sepals 4, colored~
Petals usually none,


6

RANUNCULACE£.
sometimes few, shorter than the sepals.

CLEMATIS.

Anthers linear, extrorS8.

Achenia terminated by

long (mostly plumose or hairy) tails.- Perennial, herbaceous, somewhat shrubby plants,
mostly sarmentosc, ,vith opposite leaves and fibrous roots.
§ 1.

1.

CLE~IATIS

CLEl\fATIS OCIIROLEUCA,

proper.

Inrolucre none: petals nonc.

Alt. (Plate I.)

Silky Virgin's B01.ver.

Stem herbaceous, erect, silky-pubescent; leaves undivided, ovate, silky underneath; peduncles solitary, one-flowered, terminal, inclined.- Ail. IieWe (ed. 1.) p. 260; Sims, bot.
m,ag. t. 1175; Ell. sk. 2. 1).48; DC. prodr. 1. p. 8; Torr. <} Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 7.
C. sericea, Michx. fl. 1. p. 319; Pursh, fl· 2. ]). 385.
Stem sinlple or some\vhat branched, I! - 2 feet high, firmly erect. Leaves ll- 3 inches
long and 1 - 2 inches in diameter, nearly sessile, rather obtuse, sometimes a little cordate at
the base, reticulated, nearly smooth when old. Flowers about an inch in diameter, only one
on a plant ,vhen the stel11 is simple, but usually several when branched. Sepals (rarely 5)
silky externally, of a dull yellowish color internally, lanceolate, acuminate; the point some\vhat recurved. Peduncle of the fruit erect. Carpels ,vith long plumose silky tails; the silk
of a yellowisll color.
In a sl11all sandy copse about half a Inile from the South Ferry, Brooklyn; the only known
locality of the plant in the State. It was first detected there by the late Dr. C. W. Eddy, in
the year 1806; and though often sought for, ,vas not found again until a few years ago, when
it ,vas collected by Mrs. S. Carey. It flowers in May, and ripens its fruit early in July.

2.

CLEMATIS VIRGINIANA,

Linn.

Virginian Virgin's Bower.

Flowers panicled, direcious or polygamous; leaves ternate, smooth; leaflets ovate or

roundish, acuminate, often more or less cordate, incisely toothed and lobed; carpels with long
plumose tails.- Willd. sp. 2. p. 1290; Afichx.fl. 2. p. 318; Pursh,fl. 2. p. 384 ; Darlingt.
fl. Cest. p. 335; TorT. 4· GT·fl. N. Am. 1. p. 8.
Stem 8 - 15 feet long, clinlbing over shrubs and bushes, pubescent when young, nearly
smooth and somewhat shrubby when old. Leaves on petioles which are 2 - 3 inches long;
the leaflets 1 - 3 inches in length and 1 - 2 inches in breadth, petiolulate. Panicles axillary,
trichotomously divided, with small leaves at the divisions. Sepals white, elliptical-obovate,
longer than the stamens and pistils. Carpels with silky plumose whitish tails, which are about
an inch long, and recurved in maturity.
Comlnon in thickets, and along fences and stone walls. Flowers from the latter part of
July to August; the fruit mature about the end of September.
This plant is sometimes employed as an emetic, diaphoretic and alterative. Wood and
Bache's U. S. Dispensatory, append. 1078.


RANUNCULACEiE.

CLEMATIS.

9 2.
3.

ATRAGENE,

Involucre none , ' petals several, minute.

DC.

CLEl\IA1'IS VERTICILLARIS,

7

DC.

Whorl-leaved VirgiJ~'s BO'lver.

Peduncles one-flowered; leaves verticillate in fours, ternate; leaflets petiolulate, ovate,
acuminate, somewhat cordate, entire or sparingly toothed. - DC. prodr. 1. p. 10; Hook.
fl· Bor.-Am. 1. p. 2; Torr. <} G'r. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 10. Atragcne Americana, Sims, bot.
mag. t. 887; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 384; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 219.
Stem suffruticose, clilnbing over roc}{s and shrubs, nearly smooth. Leaflets about 2 inches
long, often entire, but sometimes with a few coarse serraturcs. Peduncles about the length
of the petioles. Flowers cernuous, very larg'e, and of a fine purplish blue color, campanulate.
Sepals oblong-Ianceolate, acute, sparingly pubescent externally, ,voollyon the margin. Petals
spatulate, passing into stamens. Carpels ,vith lung \vhitc plumose tails.
Northern and western parts of the State, not llncon1nl0n; rare in the valley of the Hudson.
Its most southern station is the Fishkill Mountains, near the summit of which it occurs
sparingly. Flowers the latter part of April and early in May. A beautiful climber.
2. ANEMONE.

Linn~; Endl. gen. 4773.

[From the Greek,

an{;7nOS,

WIND-FLOWER.

wind; because many of the species gro\v in elevated bleak situations.]

Involucre of 3 leaves, remote from the flovver; the leaflets variously incised. Sepals 5 to 15,
petaloid.

Petals none.

Achenia mucronate (sometimes with a long plumose tail).-

Perennial herbs, ,vith radical (usually divided) leaves.
leaf-like involucres at each division.

9 1.

Scapes, when branched, bearing

Peduncles one-flowered.

DC. Carpels 1.cithout tails: pedicels solitary or in pairs (rarely more), all
leafless and one:flo'wered: leaves of the involucre sessile or petiolate.

ANEMONANTHEA,

1.

ANEMONE NEl\IOROSA,

Linn.

TVood Ane/Jlone.

Leaves ternate; leaflets undivided, or with the middle one 3-cleft and the lateral ones 2parted, incisely toothed, acute, those of the involucre slnaller, petioled; sepals 4 - 6 (commonly 5), oval or elliptical.-llficltx. fl. 1. ]). 319; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 387; Ell. skI 2. p. 53;

DC. prodr. 1. p. 20; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 6; Torr. <} Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 12 ;
Pritz. revise Anem. in Linncea, 1841, p. 650. A.lancifolia, Pur'sh, l. c.,. DC. l. c.
var. quinquefolia: lateral leaves of the involucre 2-parted to the base.- DC. l. c.; Bart.
fl. N. Am. 2._ t. 39. f. 2; Torr. cOlnp. p. 223; Torr. 4.. Gr. l. c. .A. quinquefolia, Linn.
Rhizoma horizontal, 2 - 3 inches long. Stem or scape 3 - 8 inches high, slender, usually
smooth. Radical leaves (often wanting) on long petioles. Leaflets of the involucre resembling
those of the radical leaves, an inch or more in length, ciliate-pubescent on tIle margin. Peduncle slender, 1 - 2 inches long, arising from the centre of the involucre. Flower about an
inch in diameter. Sepals rarely only 4 and occasionally as many as 7, resembling petals,
white or more or less tinged with purple, especially underneath. Carpels elliptical-ovoid,
with a small recurved point.
Moist woods and thickets; very common. Flowers in April and May. Fr. June.


RANUNCULACE.tE.

8
2.

ANEMONE CYLINDRICA,

ANEMONB.

Cylindrical-headed Wind-flower.

Gray.

Silky-pubescent; leaves ternately divided; lateral segments 2-parted, the intermediate one
2-cleft; lobes linear-lanceolate, with the apex incisely toothed, those of the involucre similar
and petioled; peduncles 2 - 6, rarely solitary; sepals 5, obovate, obtuse; carpels densely
woolly, in a long cylindrical head, pointed with a short somewhat curved beak.- Gray in

ann. lye. N. York, 3. p. 221; Torr. f Gr.fl. N. Am. 1. p. 13; Pritz. 1. c. p. 668.
Plant 1 - 3 feet high, the stem and peduncles slender and usually of a purplish color.
Radical leaves on petioles, which are 2 - 6 inches long; lamina 2 - 3 inches in diameter,
the ultimate segments only 2 - 3 lines wide. Peduncles commonly umbellate, very erect;
tllose of the flowers about 6 incIles long; of the fruit, twice or more that length. Leaves of
the involucre 2 - 3 times the number of the peduncles. Flowers scarcely more than half an
incll in diameter, all expanding nearly at the same time. Sepals somewhat coriaceous, hairy
externally, pale yello\vish green within. Style very short. Heads of carpels an inch or more
in length, and one-third of an inch in diameter.
Sandy plains near Oneida lake (Dr. Gray). Irondequoit mills, 12 miles east of Rochester
(Dr. Knieskern). May - June.
This species, which was first cllaracterized by Dr. Gray, has a general resemblance to
A. }"'irgin£ana, but is easily distinguished by its different inflorescence, more slender habit,
narro\v leaf-segments, and cylindrical head of carpels.

§ 2.

DC. Carpels without tails, compressed; pedicels several from one involucre,
leafless and one-flowered, the others bearing a 2-leaved involucel.

ANEMONOSPERMOS,

one of

3.

the1J~

ANEl\fONE VIRGINIANA,

Linn.

T kimble-weed.

Leaves ternately divided; segments 3-cleft, acuminate, incisely serrate, those of the involucre and involucels similar, petioled; sepals 5, somewhat coriaceous, elliptical, silkyvillous externally; carpels densely woolly, in an ovoid-oblong head, mucronate.- Michx.
fl· 1. p. 320; Pursh, fl· 2. p. 388; DC. p1 odr. 1. 1). 21 ; Hook.fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 7. t. 4.
f· B; Darlingt_ fl. Cfest. p. 320; Torr. f Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 13; Pritz. l. c. p. 671.
Rhizoma short, and somewhat ligneous. Plant 1 - 3 feet high. Radical leaves on long
petioles; leaflets 2 - 4 inches long, and 1 - I! inch wide. Peduncles 6 - 12 inches long,
several from each involucre. Flowers about three-fourths of an inch in diameter, appearing
in succession, so that tIle flowers and fruit are found on the plant at the same time. Sepals
greenish white or ochroleucous, two of tllem narrower than the others, with a short acuminate
point; the others obtuse. Carpels ovoid, with a subulate and somewhat incurved beak, matted
together by the wllitish dense wool which clothes them; the heads usually about three-fourths
of an inch long, and half an inch in diameter.
Dry woods, hill sides, and banks of rivers. Fl. Latter part of June. Fr. September.
This is one of the numerous plants supposed to possess the power of curing the bite of the
rattlesnake.
A


RANUNCULACEJE.

ANEMONE.

4.

ANEMONE MULTIFIDA,

Po-lr. [Plate II]

9

(}ut-lectved Win (l-jlower.

Hairy; leaves ternately divided; segments cuneiform, Iaciniately 3-cleft, the lobes linear,
acute, those of the involucre and involucels similar, on short petioles; sepals 5 - 8, oval,
obtuse -; head of carpels oval, ,voolly.- Poir. dict. SUP1)l. 1. 1). 364; Deless. ic. 1. t. 16 ;
DC.prodr. I.p. 21 (excl. var. uniflora); Hook. fl. BOT.-Anl. l.p. 7; Pritz. 7. c. p. 672.
val'. Hudsoniana: stem mostly 2-fIowered. - DC. 7. c.; Gray, in ann. lyc. N. York, 3.
p. 222; TorT. ~ Gr. fl. N. Alll. 1. p. 13. A. Hudsoniana, and var. sanguinea, Richards.
app. Frank. jour. edt 2. p. 22; Pritz. l. c. A. I-Iudsoniana, Oakes, in J-Iovey's hart. mag.
illay, 1841. A. sanguinea, Pursh, in herb. La171.b.
About a foot high. l{adicalleaves on petioles which arc 2 - 5 inches in length; segments
1 - 2 lines wide. Peduncles of the flower 1 - 3 inches long, of the fruit 6 inches or more;
one of tllelTI naked, the other ,vith an involucel near the middle. Flo\vers as large as in A.
Jlirginiana, brigllt purplish red. Sepals usually 5, silky-villous externally. Head of carpels
about tl1ree fourths of an inch long and half an inch in diameter. Carpels pointed \yith a
slightly curved subulate beak~
The only l{no\Yll locality in our State, of this rare plant, is Watertown, J efferson count~y~
,vhere it ,yas discovered about 25 years ago by Dr. I. Cravve. It grows on limestone rocks,
and, ill this place, always occurs Witll red flo\vers, whicll appear in June. Dr. Robbins found
it in Vermont ,vith the flo"rers dull white, and sometimes tinged "\vith rose-color.
DeCandolle, in his Syst. nat. veg. (1818), describes two varieties of this plant, one (111agellanica) from the Straits of Magellan, collected by Commerson; the other (Hudsoniana)
from HudsOll~S Bay. These seem to differ merely in the number of flowers on a plant; a
character by no means constant. The former is figured in Delessert's leones, Vol. 1. t. 16~
In t. 17 is a representation of a tl1ird variety (" pedicellis solitariis " ) 7 from the Straits of
Magellan, but not described by DeCandolle in llis Systema. It is tIle y. uniflora of his Prodromus. This differs so muc}l from the ordinary A. 1nultifida, that the author of the leones
proposed it as a distinct species, under tIle name of A. Commersonia, which is adopted by
Sprengel in his Systema veg. In the southern hemisphere the A. multijida has even a more

extended range than in North America, being found from Conception to the Straits of Magellan.

5.

ANEMONE PENNSYLVANICA,

Pennsylvallia W1~nd1lo'l()er.

L.

Somewhat llairy; leaves 3 - 5-parted; segments oblong, incisely toothed at the apex; involucre and involucels similar, 2-leaved, sessile; sepals 5, obovate; carpels llairy, margined,
with a long subulate style which is somewhat recurved at tIle point; lleads of carpels globose.-Pursh, fl. 2. p. 387; DC. prodr. 1. p. 121; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. I. p. 8. t. 3. f. B;
Torr. ~ Gr. fl. N. Amer. 1. p. 14; Pritz. l. c. p. 667. A. dichotoma, Linn. anlren. acado
1. p. 155.

IFLORA.]

A. aconitifolia, Michx·fl· 1. .e. 320.
.2