Asa Gray correspondence files of the Gray Herbarium, 1838-1892 (inclusive). Correspondence with George Engelmann, 1840-1856. Botany Libraries, Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, Mass.

St Louis Nov 19th 1841

Asa Gray MD

Dear Doctor

I write you today with the request to tell Mr Nuttall, in case you should see him before his departure to Europe, and he should not have received a letter, which I address to day to him to Philadelphia — that I know nothing at all of Mr Gambel; that a party of traders arrived here from Sta Fe more than two months ago probably the same, which brought his letter, and that no other one is expected this fall, but that next spring — April or Mai a party will arrive here. Mr. Barnard has heard nothing of Mr G.— I shall receive information from any one that might come here from there, and enquire for the package. Does Mr Nuttall know how Mr Gambel's package is signed and to whom or whose are directed? —

I received your Cuscuta — letter about 3 weeks ago and the 2 packages of plants together with your letter from Sept. 2d and the flora about one week afterwards. The plants delighted me very much, Mr Carey's an mostly the rarer ones and Mr Brownne's the best preserved; they are indeed beautiful, through the specimens perhaps not as complete as they might be but I am afraid that I the specimens that I can send are neither good nor so well presereved, nor in equal numbers — but I promise more next season. If I can not send so many different specimens, the gentlemen would perhaps like to get a number of specimens of one rare species; if so they may indicate their pleasure and name the plants. I will then collect them next season or cause them to be collected. — Do they wish European plants? I can furnish them with large numbers of them. I am at this moment busy in dividing my duplicates — those which I have collected this summer, and all others of the lowest orders of Dicotyledonous plants, European and American, I send you a full set. If you dont want them — as there are very many or most, which you already have, you may give them to others and Mssrs Carey & Brownne may see them and note down those that they want from me. At present I have just put aside only such as may be particularly interesting to the American botanist as Comus suecica, Salsola kali, Polycarpa tetraphyllum etc. Are they the gentlemen, mentioned in your Flora, John Carey and R.J. Brownne?

I will examine the Myosotis for you with pleasure, if you could send me your materials, but I doubt that there is much opportunity for this in the winter. My own materials are very scanty — in America, but complete in German

or European specimens. — I will send you nearly all the German species — to compare if you have not got them complete — or you send me your American ones if you chose. — But much more material have I collected myself — Verbena, and should like to obtain all other American ones, which I have not — and which I have noticed in a former letter. My correspondent in Texas has again collected a few hundred specimens, but shall not get them probably before next year. But before I continue I must ask you whether you have got a big letter containing my paper on Cuscuta, which Mr Nicollet took with him Octob 14th and a small package containing a complete set of our Cuscutas and Verbenas with hybrid, which I sent to Washington Octob 21st — —

The Verbenas I must study again next season, before satisfying myself entirely — and wish your flora could not be out so far before next fall — I have found several hybrids, and so late in the fall, that I could make out nothing satisfactory. —

Amongst Nicollet's collection of 1839 is one Polygonum, No. 138. which appears to me very remarkable and distinct from forms in our neighborhood resembling it much others — wide; — it is distinguished by the long acuminate triangular fruit which exceeds the calyx by far; — in our species (ramosissimum Mix? {Michaux}) — the first is short acute included in the calyx. —

I thought I had seen a specimen of an Eupatoria in your hands, which you had got from my collection in Berlin, and which I sent there by the name of hyssopifolia; — it has 10-12 flower heads; and I can not well make it out at present.

Houstonia cephalaeoides is a name which I have only seen in your herbarium. It grows also in our neighborhood. The other is your Hedyotis longifolia, and purpurea I have never seen here, only in western Arkansas, with very broad leaves. — My Lobelia thermanum {thermalis} may be Decandolle's L. syphilitica var ludoviciana, I have send you my best specimen, and retained only a small one, but I will send that by the first opportunity.

A species of Fedia longiflora I have put aside for you. If you can send me the Cuscutas of your and other herbariums I shall take much pleasure in examining them. — You will have looked through my paper by this time, you have seen what I said about C. americana L. when I spoke of C. cephalanthi. — It would be interesting to compare Clayton's and Sloane's plants — Clayton's may be some one of ours, but Sloane's is certainly different. I should propose to leave the name to the West India plant, or discard it together, just as DeCandolle with less apparent cause had discarded the name C. europaea. — From the description and plates you will see the distinguishing characters are

1. Properties of tube of Corolla and Limb, equal shorter, longer 2. Properties of tube of Corolla and Calyx, equal shorter, longer 3. Shape of tube cylindric, unceolate, rampanulate 4. Shape of lobes of Calyx and Corolla obtuse, acute, acuminate 6. Shape of ovary with or without stylopodia. 7. Shape of stigma, which is in all American species capitate. 8. Relation of the marrescent corolla to the capsule

Inflorescence more or less pedunculate or sessile flowers — divisions of the flowers, 4 or 5 cleft —, lenght of stamina and styles — are of less importance. It is if not decisive, still very important to notice the plants on which they grow. —

Linne, as you say, has two different plants under this name, and the later authors describe the West Indian plant; therefore either this must retain the name, or it must be discarded entirely. — Only if the examination of Clayton and Sloanes plant would prove them to be the same — then only the name of americana must be retained.

Above I forget an important point: 5: size shape and direction of the scales, which come from the base of the filaments. They are only inconspicuous teeth or larger scales, crenulate or lacinate or pinnatifida, erect, adpressed to the tube, or convergent covering the ovary. — I wish you would have the plants in the English herbarium compared, and I should like if possible to obtain a few flowers of them to examine them my self. —

Of all the extracts which you give me only a few words of Swartz are important = corrollae laciniis ovatis acutis erectis; which hardly agrees with any of my species (perhaps C. coryli?)

If you have the paper still in your hand, I wish you would add nearly at the end of the article on Cuscutaceae in general, to the European Cuscuta epithymum or the American Cuscuta polygonorum! add: In two instances I have found two different species growing on the same stalk: Cuscuta cephalanthi and polygonorum on a Boehmeria and Cuscuta corylis B. and Lepidanche compositarum & on a Solidago.

Cuscuta cephalanthi —— where I say: The figure of Sloan ——— may be quite different from ours. add: Jacquin (Stirp. Am. p. 24) and Swartz (Obs. p. 54) describe also the West India plant under the name of C. americana, and Linn himself , — citing Grovon. and Sloane has confused at least two species in that name; On account of this uncertainly and because under the name of C. americana undoubtedly different species have been confounded (add here:), by Linnaeus himself who cites Gronovius in Sloane, describing a Virginia and a Jamaica plant, as well as by also subsequent botanists (continue:) I have discarded this name altogether (add:) or propose to continue it for the Jamaica plant.

Cuscuta coryli add: segments of the Calyx "carinate" acute etc. and to var: β. add: styles longer then the ovary exsert; segments of the Calyx a little longer than the tube of the corolla. and below: before the last period: I discovered the variety β 1838 etc: insert the following: The variety β may be distinguished by the longer exsert style the larger segments of the Calyx which are a little longer than the tube of the corolla (in the main species they are rather shorter than the tube) and the larger first.

Now I have hardly room to speak of other things; but I must mention that I send you a specimen of Anychia capillacea Nutt which you undoubtedly will find quite different from Dichotoma, not only a variety. {Anychia} dichotoma: caule retrosum piloso, fol. sessilibus inferioribus lanceolato-inovatis, superioribus lanceolato-linearibus mucronatis subciliatis, floribus aggregatis sessilibus, sepalis trinervis cuspitatis utriculum aequatibus; glaberimis, floribus solitariis, breviter pedemoculatis sepalis uni nerviis obtusis, utriculo brevioribus seminibus majoribus. — The seeds are as large again as in dichotoma! Ioway Territory.

25 [postmark] St LOUIS NOV 20 MO

Dr Asa Gray care of Prof John Torrey 31 McDougal street New York

Could you not send me a specimen of Hookers Marsilea vestita, and a copy of his description. [loss] have 1835 found another Marsilea in Arkansas, which my friend A. Braun in Germany had described by the name of {Marsilea} uncinata (you shall have a specimen of it) And in Nicollets collection 1839 is another Marsilea, which appears to be distinct from both — and which I should like to describe and write a little paper on all three, the only North American species, and all of them nearly or quite unknown to American botanists.

Yours entirely George Engelmann

6. Cuscuta verrucosa. Stem low, branched; flowers long peduncled, cymose, small, 5 parted; tube of the corolla open campanulate, shorter than the turberculate or verrucose broadly oval obtusish lobes of limb; scales ovate, fimbriate, convergent, longer than the tube; styles as long as the ovary (which is crowned by a stylopodium?); capsule —. On Petalostemon, Texas; Drummonds 3d collection No. 247; communicated by Mr John Carey. Turn this leaf round and add here φ 7. Cuscuta polygonorum. at the end write: so that the large depressed ovary appears naked in the open campanulate corolla; while in C. saururi it is surrounded and covered by the convergent or inflexed multifidous scales etc etc. Lepidanche compositarum after the description of the varieties say: This singular plant appears to be peculiar to the western prairies; I have observed it since 1833 in wet praries round St Louis on Solidago, also on Veronia (Ch Geyer); on Silphium Dr Clapp has found it on Silphium near New Albany, Indiana; and the second variety etc etc.

[loss] I dont know the number of figures in the plate, and must request you to alter these her so as to continue numbering. Strike out no. 5 which does not belong to C. cephalanthi but here. fig 5, a.b.c. Cuscuta carinata; 5 inflorescences of var. & a flower, b. open corolla c. ovary and styles fig. d e f Cuscuta pentagona d flower, e open corolla f ovary and styles fig. g flower of Cuscuta verrucosa I dont know wither I have marked the carina of calyx in the flower of Cuscuta corlyli, I believe fig 7. It ought to be done as in this fig. a.

St. Louis Decemb 8th 1841

Here my dear Doctor, is more trouble for you, and if you are much engaged at this moment — as I have no doubt, you are you will think a little hard of me. — About ten days ago Dr. Hadley brought your most interesting parcel, and the first clear days were spent in carefully examining the specimens. I found two new species, and one which I had though reluctantly put under C. cephalanthi, was found to constitute a 3rd species. Your 1. is Saururi 2, carnita & laxiflora 3. pentagona, 4 chilensis Ker — Mr Carey's A. carinata & B. carinata β C. carinata γ — (perhpas a distinct species, but no material difference except number of stamens) D. carnita β — The specimen from Texas is verrurosa. — Do you want any of them returned? — Will Dr Torrey send me any? — But for the present we will make no more alterations and print it as it is — I have troubled you a good deal already with this matter, and trouble you a good deal more with the alternations now proposed but I will be quiet for a time. I hope you have received my manuscript and also the parcel of Verbena and Cuscuta which I know has arrived in Washington; and have the first still in hand to add the present letter ; I have written it so, that it can be cut to pieces to insert these where necessary. —

I trouble you again with a good many notes — helter skelter, as they occur to me, but I hope not without some value to you. — Sida hispida Pursh grows here and I shall send you a specimens. Ours appears to be Pursh's plant and not Elliots as you in the appendix say; — but more probably different from both. 5 carpels obtuse — fruit calyx much enlarged —

Alterations and Additions to my paper on Cuscuta Instead of the former head, put: A Monography of the North American Cuscutneae. by George Engelmann, MD. of St Louis Missouri

In place of the Conspectus of the genera and species put the following: Conspectus of the Genera and Species, that have come under my observation. I. Cuscuta. Lin. sepals united into a 4 or 5 cleft calyx A. with one style. 1. C. monogyna Vahl. Eastern Europe B. With two styles. a. Europeans, with filiform stigmas *flowers generally 5 parted. [2.] C. epithymum Lin. segments of calyx and corolla acuminate. Europe [3.] C. epilinum Weihe. flower globose, segments of calyx and corolla orbiculate, abruptly acuminate. Europe. [4.] [C.] planiflora Tenore. flower short campanulate, open. Italy. ** flowers generally 4 parted. 5. C. europaea Lin. Lobes of calyx and corolla obtuse. Europe C. americans, with capitate stigmas. §. Corolla cylindric; its rudiments covering the ripening capsule. * flowers generally 5 parted. 6. C. chilensis Ker. Corolla much longer than the campanulate calyx, anthers sessile. Chili. 7. C. cephalanthi. Lobes of calyx and corolla obtuse, anthers stipitate. St Louis. ** flowers generally 4 parted. 8. C. coryli lobes of callyx and corolla acute. St Louis §§. Corolla campanulate; its rudiments persitent at the base of the ripening capsule * flowers generally 5 parted. 9. C. carinata carinate lobes of the calyx and lobes of the corolla obtuse. Vermont to Georgia and west to Missouri. 10. C. saururi with lobes of calyx and corolla obtuse. Western New York to Missouri. 11. C. pentagona lobes of the 5 angled calyx smooth, roundish, lobes of corolla acuminate. Virginia. 12. C. verrucosa lobes of the campenulate calyx verrucose, roundish, lobes of corolla acuminate Texas. ** flowers generally 4 parted. 13. C. polygonorum lobes of calyx and corolla acute. St Louis. II. Lepidanche calyx imbricate, consisting of 10 to 15 sepals. [loss] Illinois and Missouri