Cutler, Manasseh, 1742-1823. Manasseh Cutler papers, 1782-1856. Book II. gra00062. Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Botany Libraries, Harvard University.

47 ye Stigma of ye top of ye capsule & sessile —

Root — long, jointed, much like sweet flag runs along almost at ye top of ye ground. at ye end where the leaves & stalk rises send down a great number of small white fibres — substance is spungy. Several heart shaped leaves rise with ye flower stalks, with yr apex acumi= nated. on pedicles 7 or 8 inch high erect — Leaf 3 or 4 inch long & 2 or 3 wide at base. flower stalk abought hight of ye leaves — as large as little finger, round spungy substance — Grows in low wet sunken ground & in or near ponds — Tasted ye root as I began to write this — insipid at first but now produces a most sever prickly smart in my mouth & tongue —

June 3d. No. 106. Water-Star Plant. (MC) —

Calix — 5 very small, strap-shaped, leaves. erect, & a perianth — perianth —

48 Corol. cylindrical tube, short, divided into 5 semicircular segments in margin. White — ye segments patent —

Stam. 5 short, erect filiform filaments inserted into ye sides of ye tube. Anthera stand on ye top of ye filaments, globular. They do not arise so high as ye mouth of ye tubes.

Pistil — Germ. within ye tube, orbicular, we Capsule, containg several cells with very small round seeds. — Style, filiform, short, erect, Stigma roundish, flated —

Root. This curious plant grows in shallow water with a muddy bottom. It is exceeding difficult to deteremin where ye bounds between ye stalk & root. On ye surface of ye water Numerous leavs are thrown off from ye stalk at ye surface of ye water, all round it, & spread on ye sufface of ye water in a most beautiful stellate manner. Where these leaves are sent off ye stalks seems to be a little girt round — & below the ye leaves that form ye rayes of a Circula & very close to them & one a nother are sent of leaves in a spiral form some way down ye stalks, all which spread out in ye water. The stalk as it descends, gradually towards

49 tapers away to sm many small fibres which runs down in to ye mud, from this end some ways up ye stalks are sent of very numerous, filiform white fibres wh spread a every way in ye mud. Leaves. The leaves sent off at ye surface of ye water & wh spread upon it are long narrow flatish ribs, on each side stand opposite narrow very small strap-shaped lives much like those of ye Large tree Hemlock.

Stalk. The Stalk rises from ye center of those ye Star, swelling, hallow, naked, from one to 2 inch where ye is a kind of circular joint, or ye stalk appear to be girt round, from this all round this joint stand spear — or strap-shaped leaves a little longer & broader yn ye leaves of ye Calix, from 3 to 6 or at 7 in No. a joint — from ye ala of these leaves arise short round pedicals on which stand ye flowers — which are very small & of a milk white — the stalks yn rise again about half ye distance from ye leaves to ye first flowers — bel=lying out where is a nother circular joint & flowers, & these joints grow nearer & nearer with flowers — untill ye whole terminates in a kind of tuft of flowers. The stalks above ye leaves is

50 frequently as big as ye little finger, several small similar stalks arise by ye side of ye larger from ye leaves Its hight above ye leaves 2, 3, or 4 inch. The flowers are single & stand on distinct foot stalks at a little distance from each other — The plant makes s most curious appearance in ye winter. And is frequent on ye sides of mudy shaded brooks or sides of swamps whence yr is some depth of water.

June 2. — Blood-root —

I saw this curious plant in black Dinah's garden since found it in plenty over ye ponds.

It was out of blossom — It had but two leaves, one of them small from ye side of which arose ye flower stalk, which was round 3 or 4 inch high, on which was an oblong capsule or pod, containing seeds — The other leaf was very larg, some =what like a Burdock leaf but nearlly round, with some prety large indents or bluntly scolloped & a long pedicle —

Dinah told me ye flower was white — had 5 leaves, & bloomed as early as ye first-bloming daffies —

51 June 3d — No. 107 — true vide Witheirng Branched Weed — well described like Sanicle —

Calix — 4 very small oblong leaves, reflected & is a perianth — Corol Corol — 4 ye very small oblong petals faint yellow, patent.

Stam — filament above 13 & not more yn 20. filiform spreading & turned upward — rise from ye recepticle — Anth — globular, with 2 opposit deep sinuses — erect —

Pistil — Numerous Germana, standing on a sylindrical receptical which rises from ye dirth of ye flower. The Germen a fatish & roundish — & contain a number of very small seeds — Style very short & small ye Stigma indistinct from ye style, can but just discern them with my lense —

Root — Fibrous

Leaves — Root leaves rise on long pedicles, rooundish indented, with 2 deep fissures near ye apex. Leaves of ye stalks are not all shaped a like — generally long spreading out in ye middle, & indented but mergin smoth at each end — [drawing] Some of ye indents very deep — See ye size & shape in margin.

Stalks — round, smoth, very much branched. each branch is sent off from ye ala of 3 leaves on short pedicles — the lower branches from ye ala of a