ENPages
(seq. 1)
My dear sir,
[upside down] My dear My dear
Received with great pleasure a few days ago your favor of the 17 "Ult". Although mingled with concern to hear of the accident which you mention and the consequent affection of your eyes — I hope sincerly this inconvenience will be only temporary. I know well what love of Natural History must suffer from defective vision, and can sympathize feelingly with them. My eyes were never good and are now daily growing worse, yours were so good it will be a great misfortune to have them injured.
When I took the liberty of sending you some specimens for examination I omitted making notes simply for this reason. I had collected them when travelling so rapidly that I had no time to examine them in a living state. My observations therefore could only on the specimens in the state I sent them. Many of them belonged to known genera (Helianthus, Rudbeckia, etc.) and only required a comparison with their co-species of the others. I was uncertain whether they might not be common in Pennsylvania, because as we approach our mountains in Carolina & Georgia we begin generally to approach the flora of Philadelphia. I wished therefore in the first place to ascertain and get rid of such as were well-known and the remainder could then be substituted to a more careful examination.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
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My Dear Sir
I reached home on the 25 'Nov.' last, but I returned to [hences?] of liver distress. Besides the child whose death mentioned to you in my letter from Philadelphia both of the Ladies in whose charge we left our family one of them the mother of Mrs. Elliot, the other an old and valued friend, died before our arrival, and three of our children were suffering under intermittent fevers — To draw Mrs. Elliot from scenes of so much anguish the children have been moved by some of their relation to Savannah — Thither we immediately went and to avoid the confinement of a city I carried by family to my plantation on the Quechee River about 15 miles from Savannah. There they have remained ever since and still continue. To see after my business in the neighbourhood, and to carry my eldest daughter school in Charleston. I re- turned here yesterday and had the pleasure to find in the post office your valuable and friendly letter of the 9th Nov. & 5th of Jan. 7 and also the package of dried plants in good order:
I have made this detail that you might know the real cause of my illness and not impute it to negligence. Your correspondence is so interesting and useful to me that in the walk of botany ical it will constitute my greatest pleasure. I will endeavor from time to time to send you all the plants which I can discover in this country and
new genus. Perhaps, however the absence of the cornua is not an essential generic difference.
The Astragalus glaber No. 212. grows in the pine barrens about 50 miles above Savannah. I will endeavor to procure seeds for you.
The Salix No. 216. I considered as a species not described by Walter or Michaux. I found it near Sunbury in Georgia. I will procure some cuttings for you tho at the present it will be difficult to ascertain the male & female plants flowers or to discriminate this species from the S. pentandra of Walt: with which it grows promiscuously.
The plant No. 224 which you consider as curious has always appeared to me, perhaps from inaccurate examination to be the Fedia radiata of [loss] and send [loss] also [loss] seeds when in season of it — it is a troublesome weed in our gardens
The voluble plant No. 227. is the maritimus plant I mentioned to you belonging to the natural order of Asclepiadeae. It grows [on?] (in Sciopetis) I have never been able to ascertain the genus. Perhaps Walter [should?] have made it an Asclep: cornubus nullis. If I continue here in the summer I will again compare it with its kindred and what will be much better will forward you some good specimens.
There are a few other plants on which I wish to make some a few observations on but I must refer them to some other letter when I can have access to my book. The Allionia I have never seen
I enclose for your inspection the leaf of an Oak which I discovered on my return home. It does not appear to me to described by Michaux nor
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shall never hesitate to offer tho always with diffidence whatever such observations as my occur to me on such plants as we may naturally communicate.
As I have neither Michaux nor Walter with me I have only add at present such doubts or information as a have suggested themselves to me or the heart [perusal?] of your letter —
The Rotiboellia before I saw Michaux I was accustomed to consider the R. comperssa W.
The Scirpus macrostach: I supposed to be the S. maritimus. W. It grows tho not common in our brackish marshes.
I am surprised that the Carex rostrata shoud be new to you, it is (excepting perhaps the Straminea) our most common one. The C. lupulina is rare The Carex 184 is a beautiful species. I once thought Michaux had described it but I cannot at present recollect his trivial name. I will compare and notice it in some future letter.
The Solidago N. 17 I found several years ago on my plantation in [ Georgia. I do not remember to have seen it since.
The Prunus N. 25 I consider a new species. It certainly was seen by Michaux and by him added as a variety of P. virginianus. But it differs from that in the shape of the leaf, and the corolla, in pubescence and in habit I never saw this species above ten feet high it is generally from 5 to 8 shooting out many stalks from the root. The shape is said to resemble the P. virginianus perhaps a little larger and better flavoured. It grows about Waynesborrough in Georgia. I saw it only when in flower and have not been able to obtain a root of it myself.
The Cynanchum. 27 & 83. form the genus Vincitoxicus of Walter and Gonolobus of Michaux. Have you examined any our species with sufficient accuracy to determine whether they ought to constitute a new genus or might remain with the Cynancha No. 83. I supposed to be the Cyn: carolinianum W.
It is not singular that Michaux should have considered our Viola villosa & obliqua. No. 47. as mere varieties of the Palmate. The obliqua when old sometimes shoots out palmated leaves, the villosa never. The obliqua is now in flower the palmata will not flower for a month.
The Sida No. 57. I have always consideredd as a new species. I am surprised it should have escaped detection hitherto in the pastures of our marshlands It is a most common weed. What trivial name will suit it? — The Sida of Walter I have never seen.
The Asclepias 62. Strange as it may seem is probablly the lanceolata of Walter. It is the paupercula of Michaux.
The Genitana No. 70. I suspect to be the same species. The one which is now white was blue when gathered. They grew about 14 miles from this place and were brought to me. They appeared to me likely to constitute a new species.
The Avena glumosa I gathered up the country three years ago. It will depend on accident whether I can procure seed or fresh specimens of it
Did you analyze the Arundinacea macro: is it a new genus when I examined it I thought it wanted some of the essential characters of the Arundo, particularly the villi around the base of the seed.
I feel pleased to have shewn you the Asclep: pedicellata of Walter. The specimens in my herbarium is the only one I have ever seen I found it in the pine barrens above 30 miles from above Savannah I examined it with Dr. Brickell and we thought it likely to constitute a
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Wildenow and W. Lyon to whom I shewed says it entirely new to him. It V it should prove is to you will you suggest some trivial name for it and favor me with a descripton of it — From the regularity with which the lobes diminish and their irregular shape, forming no faint resemblance to the pictures we use of Chinese pagodas I thus thought of calling it pagodafolia but perhaps such allusions may not be proper. I have some thoughts of publishing xx in one of your journals Dr. Masters or Mitchell. on account of rich new plants and may occasionally discover in this corner of our country. I might perhaps furnish 3 or 4 semi-annually. This migh would wish my lazy habits and as I have no hope of collecting the plants of our Southern Nates, nor perhaps is a new work wanting. It would serve as memorandums for future investigations.