I am indebted to the politeness of Mr. Collins, for the facts on this subject relative to Muhlenberg's herbarium. He observes, "your Gnaphalium is certainly not the luteo-album of Muhlenberg, which may not strictly be a native, but introduced. Yours most approaches G. polycephalum Mx. Still, from the decurrent leaves and other differential marks, it appears to me to be a new species. Muhlenberg's collection has it not."
As the luteo-album is said to grow in New-England, yet so far as my observation has extended it has not been found by any of the botanists, I am induced to believe that this opinion has arisen from some erroneous description of the plant which is the subject of this paper.
As the decurrent leaves of this Gnaphalium distinguish it so obviously from all the other American species of Gnaphalium, I propose to give it the specific name of decurrens.
Specific description of Gnaphalium Decurrens (large life everlasting.)
Leaves lanceolate, broad at base, acute, decurrent, somewhat scabrous above, tomentose beneath; stem leafy branched spreading, about three feet high.—See the plate.—The plate represents a section of the upper part of the plant.
FOSSIL ZOOLOGY, &c.
