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.

Echinospermum I can not understand well. We have here Lappula, and it also occurs up the Missouri. At Fort Pierre another species is more common which I have taken for {Echinospermum} patulum. But a specimen from Asia received from {Carl F. von} Ledebour and labeled {Echinospermum} patulum is very different and has the deeply umbilicate roots which I find in other Missouri and especially Texas specimens. These I had named provisionally {Echinospermum} umbilicatous but had imagined that Nuttall might have intended his {Cynoglossum} pilosum for this plant. — I am now gratified to find in Pope's Report that you also take this view and say, it is {Echinospermum} strictum Nees. — But what of that Siberian specimen?

I see now that my Chenopodium is your {Chenopodium} moquini and that Moquin already notices the single or triple flowers and the 2-4 stigmata — but what about the horizontal or vertical seeds? — Is that at mistake of mine? and the subdioicous flowers?

The only way to satisfy ourselves about the identity of Sesleria dactyloides and Antephora axillaris is to sow seeds — I have 2 grains which seem to be ripe and shall try to germinate them.

I find the ♀ {female} plant also among Hayden's,

has not been recognized?

By the wway, Sesleria antephora can not be subdioicous, as male & female flowers are so very distinct. I learn from Gray that Nuttall has proposed the name Callanthera; that Benth. pl. Hartw. {Plantas Hartwegianas} names it a species of Triodia and that Rupprecht {Franz J. Ruprecht} [consigned?] p 347 calls it Lasiostegia {Lasiostega} humilis.

I have among Lindheimers another dioicous Grass from the Coast of Texas both of which I am studying and intend to publish — Do you know any other dioicous grasses in the U.S.? The Texan one occurs also in Florida I learn from Gray.

I have sent Euphorbia & Cact to Newberry.

What is: Fremont, Geograph. Memoir on California, and your botanical notes to it? I do not know it. — Can you get a copy for me?

Yours ever truly

G Engelmann

If you like I can send you my sketches of Seslaria ♀ {female} before publishing.

St Louis April 14 1858

My dear Doctor

I was most pleasantly surprised to receive another letter from you so soon — and perhaps you was not less startled to get message upon message from me. Such mighty changes in inveterate habits a little grass can produce! But we are not at our end yet, with Antephora and Sesleria; and I must write again. Steudel is wrong is one thing — or rather in many — the grass is not glabra but ciliata-pilosa — (or is Drummonds glabrous?) the involucrum is not inaequaliter fissium, but regular as I represented it on the next page; and glumae et valvulae omnus are not subcoalitae, only what he calls involucrum as indicated in f. —

Note on Chenopodia you will find on the other page.

I inclose an Amaranthaceous plant from the upper Missouri, what is it? Among Hayden's are also Kochia dioica — may the female be also as distinct in appearance that it

[last page] Steudel, I see, describes Drummonds plant. But though similar to {Anthephora} elegans it can be no congener I think, nor even paniceous — unless I misunderstand it, which is very possible, as I have not studied Grasses much. It seems to me to have a much more regular structure, thus Steudel admits.

2 glumae, each 3 cuspidate, the interior (b) one connate with the smaller exetior (a) one pushed outside, and both forming part of the general involucrum; exterir palae (c) 3 cuspidate, half turned towards the axis of the spike (this point puzzles me — it ought to be turned from the axis — outside?), interior palae (d) bicarinate, half turned outside, flattened seed (e) convex face outside, concave inside i.c. towards the axis of the spikelet.

[drawing 1:] labeled a-e; x axis of the spikelet [drawing 2:] base of styles distinct not united as Steudels generic character has it 3 rudimentary filaments.

these two bracts do not exist — or rather inclose 2-4 spikelets — the free point, #, of interior glume is always present

Florence May 2d 1858

My dear Gray

A rainy day, which prevents me from going to Fiesole to see the cylcopean walls and the splendid country, and a Sunday when I can not see the Museums (here in Italy as in England America or Prussia — this rainy Sunday gives me leisure to bring up my correspondence and to remind old friends who seem to have lost sight of me, that I am still among the living.

How long, how long is it, since I have last heard from you. It seems to me that your last letter dates back as far as October or November — and my last was if I am not mistaken written at Vienna, about New York, 4 months hence!

Has Torrey no orders for Paris for me? Let him send them at once.

You ask what I have done since. Travelling about! Enjoying all what nature and art can offer in this favored country — but working? working very little!

A letter of Fendler some months ago, referring to some notice of me received from you made me quite ashamed; he thinks I am working hard, and studying day and night, and here I am scarcely thinking of any thing but enjoyment.

and those let in charge of the office no nothing about these affairs — that Lieut. Michler and Schott are at Panama I have seen in some paper. Mean while I am paying the artists from my means and do not get reimbursed (only the first installment). — nor do I even know whether the plates sent to Washington have arrived there.

I believe I told you that I have bought Bernhardi's Collection for Shaw; I have since bought for him a number of botanical works selected by him, a number of some valuable ones amongst the number. He writes me that he has sent you a plan for his gardens — rather stiff it seems to me and antiquated. I hope you answered him encouraging him in general, and giving good advise.

At Naples we were much thrown together with a friend and student of yours, Mr Chs. Stone of New York; we visited the islands of Capri and Ischia together, met on Mount Vesuvius in view of the eternal flames etc etc. From his conversation I was pleased to see that your instructions were not neglected by him.

What is Wright doing? I long to hear from you and yours!

Our kindest regards to all of you ever truly yours G. Engelmann

No — it is not quite so bad; but the fact is, that I an now scarcely conceive it possible how I have lived for months in Paris and Berlin, and seen so little there of the treasures of art accumulated there! I have a great mind to go again and do better!

— But I have already overstepped the longest time allowed for my absence, I confess that I am getting a little fidgety about my affairs at home my practice and especially about the protracted absence from school and regular descipline of our little son. He however takes the liveliest interest in every thing he sees and visiting classic Italy may prepare him the better to enter into the study of the classic languages. He takes great interest in botany too, and has begun to form a collection of his own.

At Naples I have become acquainted with good old superannuated {Vincenzo} Tenore and with the extremely kind {Giovanni} Gussone at Rome they seem to have no botanists but here at Florence, where Webbs' collection and libray are highly prized and worthily kept, and where the Grand duke himself is a great and liberal friend

and patron of science and botany especially much interest exists for it, and {Professor Filippo} Parlatore is a very zealous and active man; so one feels again like working and I have spent many hours in the fine hall, with some benefit, I hope, to my scientific pursuits.

We have met with Ida Agassiz in Rome, and were much pleased to find her so much better looking than at Paris last summer. Through her we learnt at least that you and Mrs. Gray were well, we shall probably cross her father on the Atlantic — but my plans are too unsettled yet to say any thing definite about our home voyage. I do not even know yet whether I shall be able to go to England again, as I greatly desire.

I have not heard any thing of Seemann or the things you have given him for me, nor have I met with Whipple's Cactaceae any where.

My engravings at Paris progress very slowly, and from Washington I can learn nothingat all. — I suppose that {Major} Emory is some where in the field, perhaps in Utah

Paris June 1st 1858

My dear Gray

In Paris, yes! but not yet on my return trip! but I must write you to tell you that that box has safely arrived just on the day I left Frankfurt last week. Your letter I got a few days before, when I returned from Italy; — but Italy is now a long way behind me and Switzerland with her many peaks and snowy passes. ——You see I am getting melancholy almost! —

What a trouble you must have had and what chagrin with this (If it would not hurt your feelings too much, I had a great mind to curse a little) report on Bigelows Cactaceae. — One should never put so much and so disagreeable a labor on anothers shoulders — and this other a man whose time is certainly more worth than to dig about in such things! — And then, after all, what a botch they have made of it! I have taken half dozen copies with me to distribute here, but when I looked at the print I found it so full of typographical errors and negligences of every

Give me now in your answers your orders for any thing to bring.

[last page] to you with the request to transmit them at the proper season here — Have you got them? and what have you done with them? — — I told him all that, and promised to see in the fall myself to it — "Mais c'est trop tard, c'est trop tard," said he in a thundering voice "car je suis accouché àu presént" and so on.

I shall now go back to Germany, work a little there yet (I have just received the Russian Cuscutae from Petersburg) distribute duplicates to all those who have been so kind to me, and return here in 6 weeks to bid Paris good bye — to sail, I expect July 27 in the Arago. Whether I can get to Frankfurt yet I do not know. I doubt whether I can go to England again.

This letter will reach you before Agassiz leaves, give him my love — we shall probably not meet in Europe. Ida is at present with Brauns daughter near Aix la Chapelle. — My wife is on the Rhine.

Write soon, as usual, to Frankfurt. Yours ever G Engelmann

My respects to Mrs Gray; my wife is on the Rhine.