tion of those genera. They are all Dicotyles. I. Genus. ADOCETON. Calyx five leaved, sepals unequal, carinated with hooded tops and scarious edges. Corolla five-petalled, petals hypogyne, persistent, equal, flat and entire. Five stamens hypogyne, alternate with the petals, and equal, filaments filiform, anthers rounded. Ovarium central, nearly trigone, one style, one stigma capitated and trilobated capsul, one-celled, trivalve, three or six central seeds. Small annual herbs with knobby and cylindrical dichotomous stems, leaves opposite, smooth, entire, with short petiols, and scarious stipules, flower terminal, congested, nearly corymbose, bracteolated. Observations. Adoceton was one of the ancient Greek names for some species of the genus Illecebrum, to which this genus is nearly related in habit, and even in diagnosis; but it differs widely by having a corolla, and a capsul neither five-valved nor one-seeded. In my natural classification of vegetables, it belongs to the first class Eltrogynia, seventh order Isandria, and family Dionidia, together with the genera Ortegia, Hagea, Dionea, &c. the former of which differs by having only three stamens, and no corolla; the second by having emarginated petals, an equal calyx, entire stigma, and a many-seeded capsul, and the last by being decandrous, &c. 1. Sp. Adoceton Saxatile. Upright stems, leaves oval, acute, glaucous and thin, petals oblong, obtuse, longer than the calyx, capsul six-seeded.-Obs. I found this species, as well as the following, on a herborisation, a few miles north of Palermo, in Sicily, towards the end of April, 1815, in company with my friend, Will. Swainson, Esq. an English botanist and zoologist. He collected specimens as well as I, and I sent some of mine (both of this species and the next,) to Dr. Romer, of Zurich; therefore I have less to regret the loss of the remainder. It grew among stones and rocks on the west side of Monte Gallo; it had the appearance of an Arenaria; the flowers only expand in the heat of the day: the stems rose from one to three inches-the petals were white. I believe it is figured in the Panphylon Siculum of Cupani, as well as the following species, under the name of Alsine. 2 Sp. Aloceton maritimum. Procumbent stems; leaves ovate, obtuse, thick and rubescent, petals lanceolated, acute, shorter than the calyx, capsul threeseeded. Obs. This was found the same ay with the foregoing; it grew in great abundance on the sea-shore, on the sandy beach of Mondello, between Monte Gallo and Monte Petlegrino, spreading on a flat surface of three to eight inches diameter; the whole plant was of a remarkable reddish colour, and had the habit of a polycarpon: the petals were very small and flesh-coloured. Mr. Bivona, a botanist of Palermo, to whom I communicated the plant, thought it might be the Illecebrum alsinefolium of Scopoli, vide Persoon Sin. pl. 1. p. 261; but not having been able to consult Scopoli's description and figure, I am at a loss to decide; I am, however, perfectly conscious it belongs to the genus Adoceton, rather than the genus Illecebrum. II. Genus. PHEDIMUS. Calyx fiveparted, sepals unequal, longer than the petals; five equal petals, 10 stamens, five ovaries, the remainder as in Sedum-habit of Sedum, leaves and flowers sessile, annual plants. Obs. This genus was already enumerated by me, in my Analysis of Nature, p. 174, as belonging to the first natura! class Eltroginia, second order Perimesia, family Sarcophyllia,and sub-family Diplogynia. It differs from the genus Sedum by the striking and peculiar irregularity of the calyx, which is not found in any other genus of this family, besides the less important character of having petals shorter than the calyx. The name of Phedimus is mythological. 1. Sp. Phedimus uniflorus. (Sedum unifiorum, Raf. car. N. G. Sp. An. Pl. Sic. p. 73. Sp. 184, tab. 18, fig. 2.) Stem erect, simple, uniflore, leaves opposite, obovate, obtuse, entire; flower sessile, sepals obovate, obtuse; petals lanceolated, acute; capsuls erect.-Obs. I described and figured, ever since 1810, this plant, as a new Sedum, overlooking then the irregularity of the calyx, as a generic character; but having since found another species, with the same peculiarity, I conceived they ought to form a distinct group. 2. Sp. Phedimus stellatus (Sedum stellatum of Desfont. flora atlant, and some other authors.) Stem diffuse, branched, multiflore; leaves scattered, obovate, spathulated, acute, and serrated; flowers in spikes, one-sided; bracteas lanceolate, acute--sepals cylindrical, acute; petals lanceolated, acute; capsuls spreading, stellated.-Obs. This plant grows near Palermo, and in many other parts of Sicily, in rocky and stony soils: it blossoms in June and July; the petals are reddish white. It appears that many species have been confused under the name of Sedum stellatum, by Linnæus,and other authors— several being figured in Bauhin, &c. The Sicilian species is probably identical with that of Barbary, and of Italy. Whether the Sedum stellatum of the remainder of Europe (there are at least two species; one with white flowers, and another with yellow flowers,) is a real Sedum or a Phedimus, must be inquired into by European botanists; and if it is a Phedimus, its comparative and distinct characters must be ascertained. III. Genus. PTERNIX. Perianthe oval, imbricated; lepids fleshy at the base, macronate, and spinescent. Phoranthus hairy. Calyx downy; down simple ciliated. Corolla elongated; limbus tubular bilabiated; upper or outside lip four-cleft; lower or inside lip entire, linear, and acute; all the five divisions linear and equal. Five stamens monadelphous and synantherous; stigma filiform, entire, articulated with the style-habit of the genus Carduus, leaves alternate, amplexicaule, few terminal, and large flowers. Obs. The name of Plernia was one of the Greek names of the Cynara or Artichoke, to which genus this is nearly reJated, belonging to the same family: Carduacea, first sub-order; Cynarea, of the fourth order; Flosculia, in the third. natural class Endogynia, and having the same peculiar characters in the Corolla and Anthodium; but it differs therefrom by the connexion of the filaments, and the ciliated down. 1. Sp. Pternix cynaroides. Stems with some uniflore branches; leaves amplexicaule, oval, sinuated, ondulated, smooth toothed and spinescent, veined above, glaucous underneath: lepids oval, mucrone longer, canaliculated, divaricated and thorny. Obs. This perennial plant grows on some mountains of Sicily, and particularly near Palermo, on Mount San Ciro and Mount Griffone; the stem rises from two to three feet, and branches only at the top; it blossoms in May; the flowers are rather larger than in any species of Carduus; the corollas are purple. I think I recollect that it is figured in the Panphyton Siculum of Cupani. are found with 1, 2, 3, 4, or more free sta Disynia. With 2 connected or mona- Vimen. With 2 free stamens, a pedumculated ovarium. Oisodix, 2 free stamens, a sessile ovarium, no style. Diplopia. 3 free stamens, a pedunculated ovarium, a style. Melanix. 4 or many free stamens, a pedunculated ovarium. Amerix. 4 or many free stamens, a sessile ovarium. Opodix, 3 free stamens, a pedunculated ovarium, no style. Chalebus. S free stamens, a sessife ovarium. I shall give hereafter a general arrangement of all the species, and particularly of the American species. 1. Sp. Vetrix Sicula. Shrubby, all the leaves opposite, somewhat petiolate, oblong-cuneate, acute, entire, smooth and pale underneath, catkins opposed, stigma thick.-Obs. This shrub rises from six to ten feet; it grows in many parts of Sicily, near Palermo, Catania, &c. on the banks of rivers: it blossoms in April, and the leaves appear nearly at the same time; the branches are opposite and viminal, It differs from the Vetrix helix (Salix helix, L.) and nearly all the other species of Vetrix, by its entire, oblong leaves, &c. IV. Genus. VETRIX. Diœcious, amen- It bears the vulgar name of Udda with taceous, flowers lepigonal; male flowers some other species of Sicilian willows. with one stamen; female flowers with. Description of seven new Species of sessile ovarium, one style, two stigmas; remainder as in Salir, L.-habit of Salix, leaves sometimes opposite. Obs. The genus Salix of Linnæus is now increased to nearly 200 species, and many more have as yet been unnoticed or undiscovered in North America, Siberia, Tartary, China, &c. among which some Sicilian Plants. These plants are also extracted from my fragments of a Flora Sicula, or Sicilian flora: they are all dicotyle, except the Orchis hyemalis. 1. Ruta fimbriata. Stem shrubby, leaves decomposed, thick, folioles unequal, oblong, obtuse crenulated, glandy lar, the odd one longer, petals laceratedfimbriated, capsuls warty.-Obs. It has great affinity with the Ruta chalepensis, L. but it differs by the shape and crenulation of the folioles, besids the characters of the petals and capsuls. It grows on the mountains of Sicily among rocks; it rises three or four feet, blossoms in May and June, and has a powerful fetid rutaceous smell, which however is relished by the women of Sicily, who cultivate the plant in gardens and pots, under the name of Arruta. I found it wild in the neighbourhood of Palermo on Mt. Pellegrino, Mt. Gallo, and Mt. Moarda; all the flowers are octandrous and tetrapetal, except the first unfolded, which is decandrous, and pentapétal. 2. Sp. Euphorbia montana. Stem simple, leaves scattered, sessile, oboval, acute, serrulated; involucrum consimilar, ombel five branched dichotomous, involucels ovate-rounded acute: perianth four-cleft, sepals round entire, capsul warty.-Obs. It is a small annual plant, two or three inches high. I found it on the summits of the highest mountains, near Palermo, Mt. Moerda, Mt. Fico and Mt. Mezzagni; it blossoms in March and April. It differs from the E. peplus by the shape of involucels, perianth, &c. the sepals of the perianth being lunular in E. peplus, they are yellow in both species. sallow white, not large, and rather thinly scattered on the spike. Annual. 5. Sp. Xylosteon siculum. Stem upright, and shrubby; leaves ovate or nearly cordate, entire, hairy nearly acute petiolate, the upper ones nearly sessile; pedicels horizontal, very short verticillated naked spiked, berries distinet, round and red.-Obs. It belongs to the genus Xylosteon of Tournefort and Jussieu (Lonicera L); it differs from the X. canescens by not having a twining stem,&c. from X. dumetorum by being destitute of bracteas and the pedicels not being vertical, &c. It is a small shrub, rising 3 or 4 feet, which grows in many parts of the interior of Sicily, in mountainous fields near Traina, Nicosia, Gangi, &c. It blossoms in May. 6. Sp. Orchis hyemalis. Roots palmated, leaves oblong; Spike loose 4-8 flowered, bracteas longer than the ova rium, spur short obtuse, labellum trilobed, the middle lobe larger rounded entire.Obs. The O. cruenta bears much similarity to this species, but it differs from it by its labellum not trilobed, but cordated and crenulated, &c. This species grows near Palermo at the foot of M. Griffone and M. Grazia; it blossoms in February, the flowers are large and purplish; this colour extends sometimes to the bracteas and stem: it is figured in the Panphyton Siculum of Cupani. 3. Sp. Orobanche fragrans. Stem thick, leaves scaly oval acuminate; spike 7. Sp. Herniaria nebrodensis. Enthick, bracteas lanceolate acute longer tirely smooth, undershrubby; stems prothan the calyx, corolla swelled, four-cleft, cumbent branched diffuse, leaves oppodivisions nearly equal, ondulated obtuse, site petiolate elliptic nearly obtuse, flowstigma jutting.-Obs. The flowers are of ersin alterne glomerules, sessile few-flowthe size of O. caryophyllea, to which this ered.--Obs. This species grows on the species is nearly related; but instead of summit of the Mt. Madonie, (formerly being white, they are of a pale and livid Nebrodes), it blossoms in July, and forms flesh-colour, their smell is also different, a small shrubby plant of only a few inchbeing peculiarly sweet and fragrant, but es extent, but forming by their reunion a not like pink. It grows on rocky grounds, thick turf. It appears to be intermediary on the mountains near Palermo, on M. between the H. glabra and the H. alpina. Pellegrino and M. Caputo, generally at-8. Florula of the White Mountain of tached to the roots of the Psoralea bitu Rafinesque New-Hampshire. minosa, while the O. caryophyllea grows exclusively (in Sicily at least) on those of the Faba vulgaris. It blossoms in April, and rises a foot at utmost. Annual. 4. Sp. Orobanche oblusata. Stem simple elongated, leaves ovate obtuse concave pubescent, spike slender, bracteas lanceolate obtuse, corolla tubular four-cleft, divisions nearly equal, obtuse entire, stamens and style enclosed.-Obs. It is a very distinct species, growing over a foot high, near Palermo, on the M. Caputo and M. Griffone: it blossoms in May, the flowers are inodorous, of a dirty or This Florula is extracted, from a paper published in the New-England Journal of Medicine and Surgery for October, 1816, by Dr. Jacob Bigelow, of Boston, under the title of Some account of the White Mountains of New-Hampshire, and including the journal of an excursion on those mountains by Dr. Bigelow, in July, 1816. The author has annexed to it a catalogue of the plants he found in the alpine or upper region of the mountains, and of those found there by Mr. Boot in another excursion in August, 1816; he has also noticed a few of the most strik ing species found in the lower regions. As the White mountains appear to be the highest summits in the Atlantic states, it was highly interesting to notice their natural productions. Dr. Bigelow found their total height to be 6225 feet above the level of the sea, which he divides into three regions, &c. 1. The woody region rising up to 4000 feet above the level of the sea. 2. The region of dwarf evergreens rising from 4000 to about 5000 feet, 'and, 3. The alpine region rising from 5000 to 6225 feet. Although these mountains had often been visited before by botanists, and particularly by Mr. Peck and Cutler, no catalogue of any consequence had been published of the plants growing on them, until Dr. Bigelow's first attempt, in which he has noticed nearly 70 species, among which 6 are new, and 3 undetermined; but several other species omitted in his catalogue, are mentioned in the Flora of Michaux and Pursh, and by diligent researches and repeated visits many more will probably be detected. It will be at any time very acceptable to see some botanist, living in their neighbourhood, attempt and execute a complete investigation of their Flora, which is probably the nucleus of Botany of the New England states. I. Plants of the Woody Region. Betula lenta lutea papyracea Gualtheria hispidula Rhodora canadensis Oxalis acetosella Viburnum lantanoides rubrum montanum striatum Aira Melicoides, Mx. A. procumbens, J. cespitosa, J. A. Menziesia ---inlet. cerulea swertz, J. balsamea v. nana, Polygonum viviparum Wild. A. melanocarpus, Mx. J. rangiferinus, cocciferus, islandicus, cornulus, &c. &c. Rubus saxatilis, A. Spirea alba Erh. A. Solidago multiradiata, Ait. A IV. New Genera and Species. N. B. Dr. Bigelow has shortly noticed 6 new species, all found on the Alpine region, but some of which must even be considered as new genera, as it will appear by their description. 1. Aplostemon bracteatum. Raf. Chaff cylindrical one spiked; spike ovate acute, surrounded by bracteas. A. Scirpus bracteatus, Bigelow. Culmo tereti monostachys, spica ovata acuta bracteis involucrata; flosculis monandris. Obs, This plant belongs to my genus. Aplostemon, containing all the species of Scirpus with one stamen; it differs materially from the Aplostemon triqueter, *This Plant grew the last on the highest ridge. (Scirpus monander, Rottbol) which has a three sided chaff and a long triphyllous involucrum. Raf. 2. Bigelowia montana. Raf. Stem angular; leaves oblong, acute enerved; peduncles solitary elongated. A. Arenaria seu Stellaria (anonyma) Bigelow-Caulo anguloso, foliis oblongis acutis enervibus, pedunculis solitaris elongatis, floribus apetalis. Obs. Dr. Bigelow is doubtful of the genus of this plant, and has not even named it. It cannot be an Arenaria, whose character is to have entire petals, nor a Stellaria, which must have bifid petals; it must therefore constitute a peculiar genus in the natural family Alsinia, intermediate between the genera Pharnaceum, Ballarion and Arenaria, whose characters will be: Cal. 5 phyllous, no petals, 10 stamens, 3 styles, capsule unilocular, and which is dedicated to Dr. Bigelow, author of the Florula Bostoniensis, &c. Raf. 3. Dimesia monticola. Raf. Exterior valve of the interior glume awned on the back in the lateral male flowers. J. Holcus monticola. Bigelow. Glumis trifloris, hemaphrodito intermedio diandro, maculis lateralibus triandris, valvur la exteriore dorso aristato. Obs. This plant, together with the Holcus fragrans of Mx. and Pursh, (Dimesia fragrans,) constitutes a new genus, totally different from Holcus, and belonging to the natural family TRIMEIA in the natural order ACHIROPIA or the grasses. Its character will be, exterior glume bivalve triflore, interior glume bivalve, two lateral male flowers with S stamens, the middle one hermaphodite and with 2 stamens. Raf. 4. Melica triflora. Bigelow. Hairy, panicle compact exterior glumes triflore, interior glumes awned, A. Villosa panicula coarctata, glumes trifloris, corpusculo accessorio, flosiculis aristatis. Obs. This species must form with the Melica aspera, of Desfontaines, a subgenus distinguished by its triflore glumes, and which I shall name Trianthusa. Raf. 5. Scirpus obtusus. Bigelow. Chaff. cylindrical and spiked, naked; spike lanceolate, scales thick and obtuse at the top, J. Culmo tereti, mido, monostachyo, spica lanceolata, squamis apice carnosis obtusis. Big. 6. Vaccinium gualtheroides. Bigelow. Procumbent, leaves obovate entire, flowers nearly solitary, berries oblong, style persistent. J. Prostratum, foliis obovatis integris, floribus subsolitaris, baccis oblongis style coronatis. Big. C. S. R. ART. 6. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. ➜BSERVATIONS ON THE USE OF GYPSUM AS A MANURE ON THE SEA COAST. changed and becomes glauber salt or sufphate of soda, by assuming the sulphuric acid of the gypsum. Such have been the facts, and this the manner of accounting for them. THE HE general introduction of gypsum as a manure, throughout the well cultivated districts of the U. States, has been of the utmost importance to the The following method of applying gypAgriculture of the country. Its use, how- sum on the sea coast, makes up for the ever, has been limited to the interior, or unsuccessful experiments heretofore perat least now within 40 or 50 miles from formed with it as a manure; and if future the sea board. Its failure to produce fer- practice should corroborate the present tility, within a saline atmosphere, has been statement, it would leave a doubt of the accounted for upon the principles of che correctness of the theory which accounts nical affinity. (Trans. Agricultural Socie for the preceding results in failing to proty, N. Y. Vol. I.) Plaister of paris, called duce fertilizing effects. As the air, rain, also gypsum, is sulphuric acid in combi- and dew have the same saline impregnasation with lime, forming the chemical tion within a sea atmosphere, the same union, making sulphate of lime. The sea chemical changes should take place in salt contained in the atmosphere is muri- whatever way the plaister is applied to atic acid in union with soda, forming mu-produce fertility. The following notice riate of soda. When these two ingredients come together in solution, the sulphate of lime or gypsum is converted into muriate of lime by the muriatic acid of the sea salt. As the action which takes place in this case must be that of a double elective attraction, the sea-salt is also was taken from a New-York daily paper of August, 1812. (The Public Advertiser.) "A gentleman of respectability and intelligence, of Long-Island, lately communicated that the following process is rapidly prevailing in his neighbourhood, and in many parts of New Jersey. When the |