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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 diohotomous 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 Orlegia, 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 Saratile. 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. Adoceton maritimum. Procumbent stems; leaves ovate, obtuse, thick and rubescent, petals lanceolated, acute, shorter than the calyx, capsul threesceded.-Obs. This was found the same day 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 Iliecebrum 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 natural class Ettroginia, 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 uniflorum, Raf. car. N. G. Sp. An. Pl. Sie. p. 73. Sp. 184, tab. 18, fig. 2.) Stem erect, simple, uniflore, leaves opposite, obovate, obtuse, entire; flower sessile, sepais 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. fiora atlant, and some other authors.) Stem diffuse, branched, multiflore; leaves scattered, obovate, spa-" thulated, 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 authorsseveral 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 Pternix was one of the Greek names of the Cynara or Artichoke, to which genus this is nearly related, 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.

IV. Genus. VETRIX. Diœcious, amentaceous, flowers lepigonal; male flowers with one stamen; female flowers with 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

are found with 1, 2, 3, 4, or more free sta mens, others with connected stamens, some with a pedunculated or sessile ova rium, others with a style or without any. In this situation it is highly proper and necessary for the better knowledge of the species and the improvement of the science, to consider those species as forming an extensive natural group or sub-family (Salicia) in the family Amentacea, which belongs to the fourth natural order Axanthia, in the first class Eltrogynia. I therefore had already (since 1814,) divided the genus Salix into about ten genera, of which the Vetrix was one; that name being one of the ancient Latin names for some species of it. I had left the name of Salix to the majority of the species, having two free stamens, a sessile ovarium, and a style. My other genera were,

Disynia. With 2 connected or monadelphous stamens.

Vimen. With 2 free stamens, a pedunculated ovarium.

Oisodir, 2 free stamens, a sessile ovarium, no style.

Diplopia. 3 free stamens, a pedunculated ovarium, a style.

Melanir. 4 or many free stamens, a pedunculated ovarium.

Amerir. 4 or many free stamens, a sessile ovarium.

Opodix. 3 free stamens, a pedunculated ovarium, no style.

Chalebus. 3 free stamens, a sessile 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, &e. It bears the vulgar name of Udda with some other species of Sicilian willows. 7. Description of seven new Species of 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, glandu

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, besides 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. Mourda; all the flowers are octandrous and tetrapetal, except the first unfolded, which is decandrous, and pentapetal.

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.

3. Sp. Orobanche fragrans. Stem thick, leaves scaly oval acuminate; spike thick, bracteas lanceolate acute longer than the calyx, corolla swelled, four-cleft, divisions nearly equal, ondulated obtuse, stigma jutting.-Obs. The flowers are of the size of O. caryophyllea, to which this species is nearly related; but instead of being white, they are of a pale and livid flesh-colour, their smell is also different, being peculiarly sweet and fragrant, but not like pink. It grows on rocky grounds, on the mountains near Palermo, on M. Pellegrino and M. Caputo, generally attached to the roots of the Psoralea bituminosa, 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 utinost. Annual.

4. Sp. Orobanche obtusala. 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

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 distinct, 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 ovarium, 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.

7. Sp. Herniaria nebrodensis. Entirely smooth, undershrubby; stems procumbent branched diffuse, leaves opposite petiolate elliptic nearly obtuse, flowers in alterne glomerules, sessile few-flowered.-Obs. This species grows on the summit of the Mt. Madonie, (formerly Nebrodes), it blossoms in July, and forms a small shrubby plant of only a few inches extent, but forming by their reunion a thick turf. It appears to be intermediary between the H. glabra and the H. alpina. 8. Florula of the White Mountain of New-Hampshire.

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

III. Plants of the Alpine Region. N. B.-J. means found in blossom in July by Dr. Bigelow, and A. in August by Mr. Boot.

ART. 6. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.