Elliott, Stephen, 1771-1830. Stephen Elliott papers, 1791-approximately 1947. Letters from James MacBride to Stephen Elliott, 1811-1812 September 3. gra00020. Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Botany Libraries, Harvard University.

St. Stephens, Augt. 1812

Dear Sir,

I recd. with great pleasure yours of July 10th (post mark date) this day. Your silence has some what injured the common cause for as is usual at this season I had relapsed into an apathy towards botanical pursuits. Early every spring my ardour revives & keeps pace with vegeta= =tion until July when there is a suspension in efflorescence (except among the grasses): besides at this period business & professional reading give me little leisure for any thing else. Not with standing these causes, & the interesting & critical posture of our country I believe I should have suffered no relaxation to have taken place if I could have duly learned that my exertions were offering you the least gratification.

Since my last I have noticed only the following of your desiderata Michanxianae. Chironia calocosa [Chironia calycosa] June 13 } Crotonopsis bloomed at the same time with Croton glan Vernonia oligophylla — 20 } dulosum. I have preserved a good specimen — Stachys hyssopifolia — June 15 ? Crotonopsis linearis July 10 ) Vernonia noveborac. [noveboracensis] Augt 13 ) Verbesina virginica — Augt 5 ) __________ For your designation of Helenium glaberr. [glabberrimum?] I am much obliged to you. H. puberulum? must ac- company it. I had at first referred the latter to Galardia [Gaillardia] fimbriata but Walter's H. vernale induced me to refer them to the genus H. I beg leave to dissent from you in supposing H. glab. to be as the H. vernale. Walter would scarcely have omitted such a leading feature as "folies decunentibus" especially as he had noticed it in other species. May not my H glab. be an undescribed sp. of Galardia & H. puberulum be G. fimbriata?

One of the most beautiful plants now in bloom is a species of Hydrolea not described by M. nor W. It is rare here. Of the genus there can be no doubt. I have preserved good specimens in the mean time in order that I may know whether you want them I will describe it or rather at =tempt it.

Hydrolea inermis, caule glabra, gracili 2 pedali simpliciusculo: x alternis rigidis x foliis glabris declinatis, vix petiolatis, lanceolatis u= Launiis coroll. oralibus tringiae acuminatis, integris, margine asperiusculis & sub undulatis : floribus rotatis, magnis, Prussico-ceruleis terminalibus sub paniculatis seu fasciculatis, breviter pedicellatis : Hedicellis et Cacinus Calycinis pilosis sine villosis.

Obs. Antherae didyma luteae. Capsula villosa ovalis seu ovata. 2 valv. 2 loc. Styli ca= rulei sic filamenta. Corolla infundo 5 inaculis decolorata. Calyx perscotins Radix habenda perennis — Grows in rich ponds near the margins where mandation is not constant — There is at present in bloom an undescribed Utricularia. The stem is slender, rises to the height of 2 feet in many instances : Flowers from 4 to 6 large, yellow, on short footstalks : Small embracing, alternate= = scales for every half inch of the stem: root fibrous — grows in moist places near the edge of a swamp. —

This species approaches the U. [Utricularia] cornuta Mich. but is evidently not the U. [Utricularia] fibrosa Walt. which is well known to me. Five species of this genus grow in this vicinity. I hope you will give a minute description of U. ceratophylla Mich. It deserves one. I am told it is found as far north as Virginia. I omitted in my last to state that Heritiera gmelini [gmelinii] was Anonymos (21) tinctoria Walt.

Your information concerning the tuber was indeed gratifying. That it emanated from the decaying roots of trees analogous to many cryptogamica. I have held over since 1808 or 9, & I have now a spe- cimen selected from others similar completely demonstrative of the correctness of this belief. I wish you to see this very much. The ligneous part of the dead root of black jack oak paper thro' the centre of the white farinaceous matter, while the tuber is enveloped partly by its own characteristic integument (tunica pulla et scabra) & partly by the proper bark of the oak root which has been by the increase of the tuber removed from the wood. The sapwood of the root appears to give the origin. This specimen is one of the smallest I have ever seen, & I suspect all small ones exhibit similar connexion. Indeed such is the concurrent testimony of respectable & observant planters. The growth of these productions I suspect is slow & the duration great for I saw one of but midling size dug out of a field which had been cleared upwards of 60 years. I had adopted the belief that the roots of Hickory & oak only produced them. Their favourite soil appears to be high dry land whose growth were oaks & hickories, but I have seen them in almost every variety of soil. In large specimens the parent root is lost have ing been incorporated in the farinaceous matter but in smaller specimens I have seen the ligneous fibres scarcely discernible. The Indians who used used this production as food knew how to find it, probably by tracing decayed stumps into the earth. I have known runaway negroes to subsist on them at least such is respectable testimony. Deer are remarkably fond of them. I am paying particular attention to this subject now

In reviewing your desiderata Walteriana I shall feel happy to think I shall satisfy you in some of the particulars. Several of Walter's species I suspect exist only in the regions of fancy. His 3 species of Hamamelis, 2 of Pancratium &c &c evince either a very defective vision or an inordinate desire of giving to the scientific world a great number of new plants. This suspicion, however, shall not cramp my exertions —

I will thank you to set me right in the following dilemma. I have ever considered that in this part of Carolina we have but two species of Lilium the Carolinianum & Catesbaei of Michaux The latter admits of no varieties, the former of three, the first with oboval & waving leaves often verticillate growing on rich high but close land. The 2nd with elliptic, subnervose, not waving & often verticillate

leaves growing to a greater height than the former. Found in low ground in the margins of ponds. The 3d in the low ground of the rich pine lands of Clarendon with leaves like the last, but growing to a greater height. I saw one at least 8 feet with 6 flowers in bloom two terminal & 4 verticillate. Still the flowers in all these were precisely the same & I have been willing to believe that soil & situation alone made the S. Carolin. assume these difft. aspects. Am I correct? Walters L. [Lilium] martagon I conceive to be his L. superbum in the first year of its bloom or on a poor soil. If the canadense Mich. ave be indigenous here I have never seen it. In gardens I have.

The berries of the dwarf Ilex? are ripe, they are of a shining red colour & their shape an oblate spheroid. They are certainly 4-spermous, the seeds are enveloped in a transparent gelatinous pulp of sweet taste but leaving a Slight impression of astringency — none of bitterness. The leaves of the berry-bearing shrub are much smaller than those of the males. This shrub [loss] much the general aspect of the prinos ambiguus Mich, branches are rather purpish or blue —

The request I made in my last de Vernonia angustifol. [angustifolia] Mich you have not complied with. Excuse my importunity as [inocense?] I have some what of importance to state concerning its medical virtues. What is Walter's Anonymos (108) — We have 3 species here of it. Is this Heuchera? I have never ascertained any species of Heuch. to my knowledge. — Do you know Mich. orobanche & flora? I ask from seeing it in your desiderat. Walt. — I thot. them the same. — The grasses have got far ahead of me. I feel disposed to devote the whole of the next season to them. The Carices Panicum are very numerous. I am persuaded near a third must remain undescribed — I send for Mr. P. a specimen of Tuckahoe which I think demonstrates its origin, I will thank you to return it per eundem as I wish to form a collection.

I am, Dear Sir, yours with high esteem J Macbride

Mr. R. who mentioned to me the new Sp. Kalmia may well make such a mistake for he is only an admirer of thus the objects of our pursuits. I suspected it might be a Rhododendron from a similarity which I supposed might exist between the two genera I never saw a Rhododendron.

Stephen Elliot, Esq. {Esquire} To the care of Beaufort S.C. {South Carolina} W. Palmer Columia

St. Stephens Sept. 3 1812

Dear Sir,

I am happy to find you think my specimen of Tuber conclusive as to the nature of its origin. Many idle speculations have been made on this subject even by scientific men. In one of the last nos of the medical Re =pository you will see that hopes are entertained of the discovering of a mode of propagating the Tuckahoe I suspect I may be able point out varieties in our tuber not species —

I feel a little flattered to think I shall be the medium of introducing to your notice so fine a plant as the Hydrolea inermis. I have only seen it in two situtations one within a mile of P. Ville & the other in a rich miry rivulet in the lime stone lands of St Johns. You must know there is a cal =careous stratum extension from the head of navigation in Cooper river as from a point in a N. W-tern direction & widely diverging until it reaches the Santee. The incumbent soil is generally very fertile & elevated bearing as forest trees oaks hickories &c. & a great variety of plants never seen with us. Here we find Angelica, Actaea, Delphinium, &c. which grow no where else in the low country. In this region the Hydrolea grows very luxurant, its leaves are quite as large as those of Hydro. carol. [Hydrolea caroliniana] Mich, & as often the larger leaves are accompanied by two smaller springing from the same point of insertion as we often see in Aster tortifolius Mich.

Walters specific term quadrivalis for the other species is certainly erroneous.

I said my Utricularia was from 4 to 6 flowered, I will lend you a specimen 9 flowered.

There must indeed be a wide difference between the plants of your adjacent county & that in which I live. This suggestion presents it self strongly when I see among the desiderat. Walt. such plants as Obolaria, Gratiola acuminata, Ranunc [Ranunculus] abortivus &c & from your mention of Chironia chlo- roides lately. I can send you bulbs of Lilium Carol. [carolina] Vol. 1 & 2 —

I wish very much to send you some collections of specimens but how I can't divine. No boats pass the canal now. I will not have an oppy. before October — Salix, Plumera [Plumeria], & Ilex I can send in a growing state also Hydrol. [Hydrocotyle] I suspect.

I should have been much pleased had you tested my explanation of the flycatching pro =cep of the Sarracenia. In June the experiment succeeds best. This season was so dry that the tubes contained no water & the sweet exudation or secretion was so insipated as to form a white pellicle which was nearly insipid — I was chagrined on altering the experiment last June — but on examing the leaves in difft situations I found most of them dry with few insects or none.