an inch long, adult leaves 2-2J inches, broadly ovato-rhomboid, rather acute than acuminate, of a harsh and
dry but not thick texture, slightly lobed at the margin, and inciso-serrate, the serratures coarse and sharp,
paler beneath, but never, either in the old or younger state, dotted. Male catkins resembling those of the
preceding, 1-2 inches long.
4. B . excelsa (A it.); “ foliis ovatis acutis serratis, strohilorum squamis lobis lateralibus
rotundatis, petiolis pubescentibus pedunculo brevioribus.” Hort. Kew. ed. 1. v. 3. p. 337.
Ph. Am. 2. p. 621.—B. lutea. Mx. N. Am. Sylv. 2. p., 103. t. 73.
H a b . Abundant in the forests of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Michaux.—I have never been so
fortunate as to receive satisfactory specimens of this plant, either from British N. America, or from the
U nited States: from its qualities and properties, however, as related by Michaux, it would seem to be a
distinct species ; but the figure of this latter author, and specimens of foliage which Mr Kendal sent from
New Brunswick, marked “ Yellow Birch,” seem to differ in no respect from the following: and Bigelow
(FI. JBost. p. 856) observes of B . excelsa, “ it has considerable resemblance to B. lenta, but the cuticle has
a yellowish colour.”—It will be seen by Michaux’s figure that the lateral lobes of the scales of the catkin aTe
as in the following species.
5. B. lenta (L .); foliis ovatis seu oblongo-ovatis brevi-acuminatis basi oblique cordatis
obtusisve argute subdupiicato-serratis nervis approximatis parallelis, subtus petiolis
villosulis, junioribus sericeis, amentis brevi-pedunculatis foemineis fructiferis ellipticis,
squamis glabriusculis nervosis lobis lateralibus ovato-rotundatis patentibus intermedio
elongato. Ph. Am. 2. p. 621. Mx. N. Am. Sylv. 2. p. 106. t. 74.—B. carpinifolia. Ehrh.
H ab. Abundant in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and in Canada, where it is known by the name of the
“ Cherry Birch” Michaux. Mr Kendal.—It is a pity that Ehrharfs appropriate name of carpinifolia
cannot be preserved to this species. It is reckoned among the most beautiful and valuable of the genus.
The leaves are often, but by no means universally, furnished with a tuft of wool in the axils of the veins.
6. B. pumila (L .); “ humilis, foliis orbiculari-obovatis serratis subtus (junioribus
praecipue) ramulisque pubescentibus, amentis fcemineis cylindraceis.” Willd. Sp. PI. t. 4.
p. 467. Jacq. Hort. Vind. t. 122. (non Diet, des Sc. Nat. cum Ic.) Ph. Am. 2. p. 622.
H ab. Canada. ('Linn.) Newfoundland. Miss Brenton. Labrador. J)r Momson.—I have seen no
plant corresponding exactly with the B . pumila, except one specimen from Newfoundland, and another, less
distinctly marked, from Labrador; but these I can only consider a downy state of B. glandulosa. The B.
pumila of Diet, des Sc. Nat. seems to be undoubtedly the European B . fruticosa.
7. B. glandulosa (Mx. Am. 2. p. 18); humilis, ramis resinoso-punctatis v. leevibus
glabris, foliis obovatis seu subrotundo-obovatis obtuse serratis glabris, amentis foemineis
lato-cylindraceis breviusculis, squamis trifidis lobis oblongo-subovatis intermedio parum
longiore. Ph. Am. 2. p. 621.
H ab. Canada and Hudson’s Bay. Michaux. Goldie. Grand Saline and Mountains of Providence, and
from Lake Winipeg to Fort Franklin. Dr Richardson. Drummond. Labrador and Newfoundland. Miss
Brenton. D r Morrison.—Leaves from £ to f, or rarely an inch long, varying in width, and somewhat in
the length of the petiole : so that some of the specimens, it must be confessed, come very near to the following.
I have selected the best characters I have been able for distinguishing them.
8. B. nana (L .); humilis, ramis resinoso-punctatis v. Imvibus glabris, foliis suborbicu-
laribus grosse dentatis glabris, amentis fcemineis brevibus cylindraceis, squamis profunde
trifidis lobis oblongo-subobovatis subaequalibus. E. Bot. t. 349. Ph. Am. 2. p. 622.—
13. fldbellifolia ; foliis cuneato-flabelliformibus dentibus profundis acutis.
H a b . Sphagnous swamps, Hudson’s Bay and Canada. Michaux. Labrador. D r Morrison. Miss Brenton.
Fort Franklin on the Mackenzie River. Dr Richardson. Kotzebue’s Sound. Chamisso (in Herb,
nost.) Beechey.—A Newfoundland. Mr Cormack.—Smaller in all its parts than the preceding, and the
leaves constantly more orbicular, and nearly sessile. The scales, too, of the female amentum appear to be
more deeply cleft, and the segments more equal.—/3. is a very beautiful variety, with broadly cuneate leaves,
semicircular at the extremity, and, there only, deeply, regularly, and sharply toothed. From Sweden, Mr
R. B. Bowman has sent me B. nana, with the young branches decidedly pubescent, thus bearing the same
relation to the usual state of the plant, that B. pumila does to B. glandulosa.
4. ALNUS. L.
1. A. glutinosa. Gcertn.—E . Bot. t. 1508. Ph. Am. 2. p. 622.
H a b . Interior of Canada and the N. W. Coast. Ph.—Willdenow gives this as a native of N. America,
and Pursh speaks of this as “ a large tree, known every where under the name of A l d e r but I have seen
nothing like our common Alder from any part of N. America, and I presume the A . viridis has generally
been mistaken for it.
2. A. crispa (Ait. H. Kew. ed. 1. v. 3. p. 339) ; pedunculis ramosis, foliis ovatis acutis
subundulatis, venis subtus pilosis, axillis nudis, stipulis subrotundo-ovatis.— B. crispa.
Mx. Am. 2. p. 181. Ph. Am. 2. p. 623.—A. undulata. Willd.
H a b . Newfoundland and Hudson’s Bay. Aiton.—Of this I know nothing, unless it be, as Nuttall has
suggested (in Herb, nostr.'), a state of A. incana.
3. A. viridis (D C .); foliis ovatis acutis ad margines inciso-sublobatis argute inaequaliter
serratis utrinque glabris v. ad venas subtus pilosiusculis et nunc in axillis venarum lanatis,
amentis junioribus cylindraceis, fructiferis ovalibus. Cham, in Linncea, 6. p. 538.—Betula
ovata. Schrank.— Willd.—Alnus incana, glabrifolia. Hook, et Am. in Bot. of Beech, p. 117
and 129.— A. glutinosa. Bich. App. p. 36. an Ph. ?—$, foliis majoribus marginibus magis
inciso?lobatis.
H a b . Canada, throughout the woody and barren country, and to the Rocky Mountains. Dr Richardson.
Drummond. Sitcha. Bongard. Kotzebue’s Sound. Chamisso. Beechey.—A N. W. America, from the
mountains to the sea. Douglas. Scouler. Tolmie.—The specimens of a. correspond entirely with, the
European plant of the same name, and the exactly ovate acute leaves, finely and deeply serrated, and the
longer, cylindrical, and (apparently) green, young female catkins, will readily distinguish it from A. glutinosa.
Dr Richardson’s specimens, from his first journey, have the leaves quite young; but I think I cannot be
mistaken in referring them here. The Columbia specimens have the leaves usually large, but retaining their
true character.
4. A. incana (W illd.); foliis ellipticis subovatisve integris vel margine obscure lobatis
obtusis vel acutiusculis argute serratis subtus pubescentibus, amentis junioribus cylindraceis,
fructiferis ovalibus.—Betula incana. L .—Pall. Boss. 1. p. 64.—0. foliis subtus ad
nervos pilosis v. etiam glaberfimis.— Betula serrulata. Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 1. p. 338.-|pP
Alnus. Ph.
H aB. «. and A throughout' Canada (Mrs Sheppard), to the Saskatchewan and Fort Franklin. Dr Richardson.
Douglas. Drummond. New Brunswick. Mr Kendal. Newfoundland. Miss Brenton.—The