This is the journal of John Howard Redfield's travels with Asa Gray, William Canby, Charles Sargent and M.E. Hyams in search of an elusive plant in North Carolina in 1879. On a visit to Paris, France in 1839, Asa Gray saw one leaf of a plant first discovered by Andre Michaux in 1788. Gray named it in honor of Dr. Charles Short, Shortia galacifolia. Gray traveled to North Carolina four times over the next 40 years searching for this plant, finally having success on this trip.