Asa Gray correspondence files of the Gray Herbarium, 1838-1892 (inclusive). Correspondence with George Engelmann, 1857-1884. Botany Libraries, Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, Mass.

St. Louis April 15th 1857

{Professor} Asa Gray – Cambridge

Dear Sir. Your favor of April 4th came to hand yesterday and I was much pleased with its contents. I hasten to tell you that {Lieutenant} Bryan would like to have the report about the 7th of Octobre next. As my brother will not be back so soon, perhaps not before next year, you would much oblige us by preparing it yourself.

Letters will always reach {Lieutenant} Bryan in this city provided he is out on a business tour.

Very respectfully yours

Henry Engelmann

Dr Answered June 28 Berlin May 21th 1857

My dear Doctor

Here I am yet in Berlin, and very loth to leave in a week hence — level, plain, dusty sandy, hot Berlin! — I have led here the same life that I did in Cambridge, working hard from day to day for better than two months! But I found it very necessary to get over Cuscutae and I think I have succeeded. — My consolation is that I never could have accomplished any thing in working out this or any other intricate genus of plants in St Louis, constantly interrupted by the claims of my patients; since 6 weeks I have scarcely seen any thing but Cuscutae and live in them; and I can tell you, they are difficult enough, and require such close attention. Wrights have also been worked through now, and included you get a list of them; there are some fine things among them. In manual I would have some alteratons to make: Cuscuta umbrosa of Beyrich I find to be in the herbaria sometimes gronovii and sometimes coryli; more the former, for which the name is better suited. I discard it therefore and name my old coryli now inflexa; glomerata is undoubtedly Rafinesques paradoxa, notwithstanding

[last page] agreeable — shall I construe it that it would not be agreeable at all?? —— I hope not after his former friendly letters. I shall write again from Paris. — Do you hear of poor Carey, who just when I left America, lost his second wife. — —

Dr Pritzel is very kind and obliging to me in the splendid library, the use of which is thereby much facilitated. He thinks of a second edition of the Thesaurus, and tells me of a good plan of the booksellers, which proved in another instance proved beneficial both to the buyer and seller: the second edition would be sold at 1/2 or 1/3 the price on presentation delivery of a copy of the 1st edition, which then was destroyed. How would such a plan do with the manual or text book? It leaves a good margin to the booksetter and induces the publishers to change their old editions for a comparatively low price for a new one! —

What has become of all the Boundary and Exploring expedition and Rail road exped. reports? are they progressing? I begged Torrey to send me at least the Cactus plates but have not heard from him. My plates are progressing slowly but are very nice.

About Wright & Fendler I wrote you about 2 months ago. Nothing new to add. I long to receive letters from you. Write to Kew, where I expect to be about July 1st or between 1st & 15th. —

We have suddenly hot weather here, but are well: our love to all our friends! Yours ever G. Engelmann

I have written a line to Agassiz a week ago —

the incongruities of his description. — The whole of the American Cuscutae and one from the Cape and a few from Asia, all from the islands of the Pacific will fall under the genus Grammica of { João de} Loureiro. —

With Euphorbiae I have not done much, and am bothered about some species. All what I had taken for prostrata Ait (Texas, west indies etc) is both {Euphorbia} tenella and callitrichoides H.B.K. — but whether the true prostrata is doubtvul yet; — I shall see about that in England. — {Euphorbia} consanguinea from Nebraska, must get another name now, as there are two of that name already, one from Siberia, another from the Himalaya; — I revive my old name {Euphorbia} notata for it. — No other changes of any importance, except the identities of Mediterranean {Euphorbia} serpens HBK [with?] {Euphorbia} herniaroides.

The Brauns are the same amiable people you know, and the children also; he has two grown up daughters one of them quite a painter, two almost grwon sons and 4 younger girls, great friends of Georgie, who plays with them while with the boys he makes botanical excursions etc.

{Jacob W.} Bailey then is no more! Ehrenberg thought a great deal of him. — what has become of the plants my brother collected? Are they safe now? — But yes, he wrote me the other day tha the had remembered a note about

them from you.

I have since reexamined Aiton, and can come to no other conclusion than that his {Euphorbia} prostrata is what I have taken for it, the Louisiana & Texas plant. — Kunths {Euphorbia} tenella and callitrichoides are both synonyms! — {Euphorbia} callitrichoides HBK is Fendlers Plant from Chagres, smooth, with peteloid appendags and globose seeds.

The study of the Cuscutae of the old world give a great deal more trouble than I thought if would principally because if the difficulty of identifying the italian species! There are now 3 or 4 american ones which I can not identify, described about the Mediterranean. — But I will not bother you with these things.

I see in Silliman a note about a cheaper edition of your Manual — not an altered or improved edition? When ever changes are to be made, I will have to give you full notes about Euph. Sagitt. Sparg. & Custcut. and have to recommend alterations. — I want to see Hooker though before a definite changes, and have his opinion.

Strange that I have twice written to him and have not had an answer. When I asked him at what time my visit to England would be most

Please send the enclosed to Torrey. Paris July 7th 1857

My dear Gray

I believe I wrote to you from Berlin some time in May, but find no memorandum of such a letter; another letter, written March 24th is as yet unanswered. I must have communicated to you the main result of my investigations of Wrights and other Cuscutae. I find nothing to add or to alter, with the exception of Cuscuta californica and {Cuscuta} acuminata. Before I see Douglas specimens in England I can not exactly say which is which. Wright and Herman collected the plant I have taken for the former, Nuttall and Fremont the latter. —

I find in Paris very little material in regard to Grammica (Cuscutae capitatae) They have my and your (Wrights) plants from North America and Weddells and Gay's from South america. The latter were important on account of some of Choisy's original specimens. —

They have here however an abundance of specimens from Southern Europe and Northern Africa in the Jardin and also in some private collections, and as I have commenced to meddle with these things, I must wade through.

Decaisne has made investigation about

[last page] graces and for the benefit of the powers that be. Quien sabe? — At all events I take it for granted that he is of a morose and suspicious temper. If he is in America and could be gained to human feelings and scientific pursuits there, I would consider it a great gain. Do you know any thing about him.

How are your works progessing; [Now?] the Boundary Report and how the Railroad reports? I hear and see nothing. — Vilmorin I have not yet seen.

My Cactus plates are fine, but only about 14 finished; while I have 36 in Europe; 12 more are in the hands of the engravers. I hope you will be pleased with them. —

Letters or packages directed to Frankfort on the Maine will always reach me; but one to Hooker sent directly after the receipt of this will probably ketch me there yet. Perhaps Miss Agassiz has something for me from you.

Nothing to change in Euphorbiaceae — except {Euphorbia} consanguinea which is a name used already twice; change it to {Euphorbia} notata. — DeCandolle has been here lately and does not think of attacking yet.

What about that English Expedition to the North West?

Our love to Mrs. Gray — Yours ever faithfully G. Engelmann

What is that work: Flora Philadelphia (130 plates), ineditae, by Torrey? [Asa Gray's note:] Torrey, what is it?

the physiology of these plants.

How do you prograss, and what are you at — only think that your last letter is dated Febr 19th!

I am again and again asked about your Flora of N. America; when it will be taken up and when finished, etc.

I just learn in a letter from Braun that Miss Ida Agassiz is expected here in Paris. We shall be very happy to meet her here, and hope that her health is not so bad as to prevent her enjoying her stay in Europe; her cousins the daughters of our friend Braun are in exstacies about the unexpected visit. By the way I met here with Martius, not the "couple" but himself and 3 daughters; he sends his love to you and Mrs Gray. Clark, the brother of Agassiz' Assistant had been here, on his return home, but left be before I knew it. — Bentham is here, but I have not seen him yet.

You want to know what we are doing, and how we spend our time. We left Berlin in the first days of June, went in a week (stopping at different places with friends and relatives) to Cologne, and are here in Paris since the 15th. I am not working quite as hard here as I did in Cambridge

and Berlin, but try to unite the "dulce" with the "utile". Nor do I neglect Hospitals and medical men entirely. — I hope to go to London in 2 or 3 weeks; will you venture to send me your answer to Hookers? I think you may.

I find here also Prof {Nils J.} Andersson from Stockholm, a very amiable and interesting man, who studies Salices in the Musée which his young wife paints in the Luxembourg. We shall

And now I must not forget poor Trécul. I wrote to you about him from here in December, but it seems that you never got that letter. You know his talents and capacities, but perhaps you do not know his morose and suspicious temper; which, they say borders on insanity. He thought himself neglected, persecuted, was too proud to do any thing for his living, was extremely poor and left in the fall for England or America, nobody knows any thing about him; and they tell me, that if in America he will not call either on you or me, considering us also as secret enemies — Others again, in their great Rubel, tell me that he really is somewhat badly treated because he will not work in the

If you Have Cuscutate or {Euphorbia stipulacea} from Wright or any other sources, send on at least fragments.