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always from above or inside the clusters of spines which represent the top of the leaf; only in Opuntia they are themselves axillary productions) — The flower buds are yet short, but thick and will become large apparentlly. 8. Cereus caespitosus My specimen is growing finely, the centre or top becomes very white with wool; the spines are at first erect; gradually the areolae detach themselves and the spines become recurved. Flowers apparently larege; my specimen has a few buds, already more than half an inch long and thick and very woolly, but originating in the axils of the old leaves (clusters of spines, not of those of this years growth.—

If you like I will figure all those cactus for your journal, which will bloom, if they are new.

Do you want shoots of our common Opuntia, and of the Texan erect one? if so, I will send them next winter. But from you I want if possible small living specimens of the {Opuntia [missouriensis?]} and the [?] {Mammillaria} simplex, of M. vivipara if different from my plant, and O. fragilis, if different. — You would oblige me very much by procuring and sending them; I am quite interested in the cultivation of these interesting plants. I should like to get all the U St., Texasn & Oreg. & California. Have you seen Op. missouriensis cultivated? I should like to have them too. I have also requested that several travellers west to procure me any Cactus they can get. I have now finished the distribution of the Texas plants and shall send to morrow a box directed to you, containing 4 packages destined for Hooker, one small parcel also for him (your N. Carolina Cuscutae etc) one package for Mr. Green, and four more (just filling a vacant space in the box) No. 19.20.21.22. which I leave with you to dispose if any more subscribers should come forward, here or in England. —

As to the charges, you have either to divide them between the persons to whom the packages are directed, or to charge Lindheimer (me) with them, and pay yourself by part of Mr Green's remittance. — Do as you think proper.

My Asclepias {lindheimeri} and many of the Texan seeds are coming well; and I hope to see many of those rare or beautiful plants in flower; Senecio ampullaceus, Sida lindheimeri, Pentstemon {Pentstemon} [flammeus?] and others are coming. Malvaviscus has been already in bloom last fall, and is sprouting luxuriantly now. — — I must raise every thing in flower pots, if I had the smallest piece of garden at my disposal, I would cultivate our Asters, Helianthus etc.

I hope you have by this time the Catalogue and description in print, and can send copies of it along with the sets.

Please to send Hooker several spare copies, also to such other persons as you think proper.

Send 20 cpies to Prof. A. Braun, Carlsruhe, Germany (best by [sonu?] Bremen, Hamburg Antwerp or Rotterdam ship; the two first are the best.) I send to Braun 10 sets which have been ordered and 5 spare ones.

Please send also per mail one to Dr. S.B.. Mead, Augusta Hancock Co Illinois, on to Prof CW Short Louisville Ky and one to Wm S. Sullivant Esq. Columbus, Ohio.

Please to have also besides all these about 50 extra copies printed for me, and make payment for them from Mr. Greene's money. —

You say you will look through Mr G's package; please tell me all you have to remark a out the plants, the paper, the labels, the mode of packing, etc. I do every thing as I think best, but having no experience in these things, much may be altered advantageously. — How do Drummond's specimens compare with Lindheimer's? — Those of last year suffered much from moisture. Perhaps they ought also to be more pressed. But in travelling and in putting up plants in a cart it is not easy to obtain the neatness required by a closet botanist. The specimens are at least as complete as possible; — and I think the small ones as numerous as necessary. — However tell me all about it. —

Has Greene any Chariae for Braun? Braun writes me that he has got many Cascutae from different European Herbaria for me; which I expect in 4 or 6 weeks.

You ask me why Lindheimer has not done much more; He is rather slow, bedsides he has had misfortunres; and then travelling is and was for the last 3 or 4 years very unsafe in western Texas. He has made a start now under the protection of a large German colony; but I am afraid that the colony will be broken up by internal dissensions or exterbak difficulties; however

Lindheimer will do his best. — I think I have roused him sufficiently. — My last letters from him are dated January 22d I expect there will be no difficulty with the numbers; I have myself compared every thing again carefully. — There is a great deal of tedious manual labour in these things; more than which takes more time than I should like to bestow on it, but what is to be done; I can not let any body else do it! —

Euphorbia bicolor as well {Euphorbia} oulo leuca {uloleuca?} must be different from {Euphorbia} marginata; the seedss are different! — On the seeds and capsules we must place our reliance in Euphorbia; it is a better character than any others. — Do you know any (invol. lanatis) horned Euphorbia here , except Pepulus {peplis}; well, I have now three 1. one from Missouri, Kentucky etc called E. {peplis}, 2) or from Georgia & Texas, 3) or from the Rocky Mts; all very different from Peplus {peplis} and from one another! —

I have to leave it entirely to you, of course, how to alter or abridge my account of the Texas plants. I have described a number, which no doubt, are known already; where therefore a mere mention of name, locality and date will be sufficient. But you will also find a number of remarks, partly derived from Lindheimer's letters, partly from the investigation of a large number of specimens, which I think would be valuable to retain, if correct.

As to the genera of Acanthaceae, I am sorry that you should have all that trouble; but I think it has to be gone through with only with a few plants; with most of them I think the old genera may be retained till further investigation; we may still call Ruellia strepens and {Ruellia} oblongifolia by their old well known names and leave to a more critical work the investigation whether Calophanes and Dizygandra are good genera or not. — I hope you will not exclude in your condensation the notice of the new Cuscutae and some other new Texan plants, not comprised within text (and the sets), and which I should like to put into notes.

{John Charles,} Fremont has not been here yet; he is expected every day. Pity that he or Col. {John} Abert should be prevented (by some certainly not very noble reason) from sending some naturalist along with the expedition. However if {Charles A.} Geyer & {F.W.A.} Lüders do nothing (I have not heard any thing of them) We have now a young botanist from New York, Mr. [Halstedt?] going there, who is, if not experienced, at least full of zeal; he travels to Oregon & California with some other naturalists. — Besides these I have requested and instructed a young physician from here, Dr. Gildea, who is going to settle in California to collect plants, and he has promised to discover Gildea! —

But I have troubled you too long already. Please to send me one copy of the Catalogue etc by mail and the others by some other cheap opportunity; the first one as soon as possible. —

If I have nothing particular to communicate, you will not hear from me again before the first of July!! — A fine day will that be for all correspondents!

Yours very truly

G Engelmann

Is it possible to get a copy of your N.A. Gramineae? I have nothing about this family and can hardly help myself. Where can it be got?

Single 28 [faded postmark] [St. LOUIS] May 1 Mo.

Prof Asa Gray Cambridge Mass

St Louis June 9th 1845

My dear Doctor,

After your long silence I was much pleased ti receive your letter of May 17 and also learn the safe arrival of the Cactus! I hope soon to learn also the arrival of the box of plants, which I sent by New Orleans. — Those sets of Lindheimer destined for Short, Sullivant etc, are long th since in their hands; they wait for your catalogue.

I write you sooner than I intended principally because I see from your letter that there is a little misunderstanding in the numbers of the plants. The plants sent to you were numbered so: 3. Clematis (pitcheri) 4 ({Clematis} cylindrica 5, [Clematis} reticulata — afterwards in the printed labels I changed the numbers as I wrote you, 1.2.3. Ranunculi 4 Cl. cyl. and under 5 I put both Cl. retic & pitcheri, taking them for the same plant; so that some sets may contain one, some the other, and a few perhaps both — which, if still time, please to notice.

Is 9 actually {Cristatella} erosa? Your notice about Desmanthus & Acacia lutea I do not understand or can not read. Gaura lindheimeri will stand then, as it is distinct from the true tripetala; I have among 50 specimens never found one with 3 parted flowers; it grows only near Houston; on the Brazos & farther west {Lindheimer} has never found it.

Psoralea {lindheimeri} from Galveston appears to me quite distinct for P. {rhombifolia} which I have from the Brazos; I believe I have carefully noted the differences.

My Cactus's are all growing, 7 well define species, and most of them well distinguished from any which I find described; 3 have been in bloom, and Echinocactus setissimus will be in one or 2 weeks! But I found it impossible, as I had intended to draw and paint them; I had no leisure and then the tints were so delicate and beautifull, that I could never have done them justice.

1, Opuntia putescens may be identical with fragillis; my specimens are small and will not flower yet. — The diagnosis

must be corrected: articulis teretibus; they are angular only when withered! 2, I have growing, but not in flower; no remarks to make 3, only in the herbarium 4, Mammillaria similis caespitosa, axillis tuberculorum juniorum paulo tomentosis; tuberculis ovatis, supra levites sulcatis sulco venus basin subtomentoso, etc. — No indication of flowers yet. — Except in the fruit, very distinct from simplex; but perhpas not from Nuttall's simplex? 5. M. sulcata caespitosa, tuberalis, ovatis, sulco subinde versus apicem prolifero superne notatis, apice spiniferis, spinis rectis radiantibus cinersis, e tomento albido, deciduo; in plantis adultis (floriferis) spina centralis subrecurva majore auctis; floribus centralibus, fasciculatis, e tomento ortis, glaberrirmis; tubo brevi, sepalis lanceolatis, acuminatis, e viridi flavescentibus, margine integris; petalis longioribus lanceolatis aristatoacuminatis, versus apicem ciliato-denticulatis, sordide flavis, intus ad basin rubicundis; staminibus inclusis, filamentis rubellis; stylo supra stamium exserto, stigata flavo 7-10 partito; baccis oblongis, floris rudimentis coronatis, virescentibus.

Flowers open for 2 days only in sunshine, 20 to 25 lines long, and when fully open 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter; speals greenish entire, inner ones petaloid, a little denticulate; 20 to 25 in number; petals 30-36 dirty yellow with a {brownish} reddish base. — Forming with Nuttall's vivpara perhaps a peculiar section: fl. centralibus; distinct from M. vivpara by the spines, radiated on the sterile shoots and with a stouter central spur on the fertile ones; by the larger yellow flowers, entire sepals and denticulate petals. — I at first thought 6. Echinocatus setispinus the apparently the fertile shoots would bloom only once; but I see that in some now tuberules show themselves in the central cavity (left by the falling away of the fruit. 6. Echinocactus setispinus the bunches of spines of this years growth have in their axills, if I may say so, a yellowish tomentose spot which gradually elevates itself a a small smooth flowerbud with imbricated scaly sepals makes its appearance; single, and crowded as in the next 7. Echinocactus gyracanthus (we should name it perhaps Lindheimeri) - - - - spines exterioribus inaequalibus radiantibus subrectis etc ——— floribus in vertice centro depresso tomentoso, ex axillis fasciculorum aculeorum annu orum (of this years growth, or is that matter: "hodiernorum") pro venientibus, confertissimis, lanosum coalitis, lanceolatis, spinoso-aristatis, interioribus margine fimbriatis; petalis lineari-oblongis, apice bifidis, aristatis, margine albidis nitentibus, nervo medio violaceo in aristum violaceam desinente; staminibus numerossissimis aequalibus e toto tubo ortis, inclusis; filamentis, aurantiacis; stylo compresso supra stamina exserto; stigmate irregulariter 14 to 17 fido carneo.

Flowers about 20 to 24 lines long; 30 lines in diameter, in my specimen 13

in number, crowded in the woolly centre and in the axills of the bunches of spines of this years growth, frequently compressed and obstructed in their growth by some spines of last year; Calyx covered by a thick loose wooll; sepals 80 to 100; petals 40 to 50 of the most delicate tints, at base scarlet, verging to orange, from which a pale purple mid rib extends to an herbaceous bristle of the same colour, upper part of the petals of the most delicate pearly or satin like shining white, with feathery margins. — In flower full 3 days; open only in bright sunshine. 8 Cereus caespitosus ——— aculeis ——— ex arcola lanceolata albo tomentosa, demum glabrata radiatis, demum, recurvis ——— floribus ex axillis tuberculorum biemium (of las year's growth) lateralibus; ovario oblongo, tuberculis (sepalis exterioribus) apice e lana villosa spinigeris stipato; sepalis plurinus, apice spinis setiformibus villoque coronatis, virescentibus, intimis acuminato-aristatis, coloratis, integris; petalis plurimis (violaceis) vsnus apicum ciliato-denticulatis, exterioribus abrupte acuminatis, interioribus obtusis, cuspidatis; staminibus inclusis, filamentis basi rubellis, apice flavis; stylo supra stamina ex serto, stigmate vividi [infrandi?] buliformi; 13 partito

flower about 27 lines long, 24 lines wide when fully open; sepals which are adnate to the ovary 40 to 50 (the external ones on the ovary includes as always) forming tubercles with long wool at tip and 6 to 8 thin yellowish brown bristle shaped spines, about 3 lines long; sepals of the tube also 40 or 50, narrowly lanceolate tip only free, also woolly and with about 6 brownish bristles; innermost sepals about 18 or 20 narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, entire, coloured, without wool or spines, 30 to 40 in number. Petals 30 or 40 between rose and purple coloured, all denticulate toward the apex. — In flower 2 days —————————————— Send me if possible small live specimens of our other N. American Cacti ———————— Lindheimer wrote again; he is near San Antonio; is perfectly delighted with the splendor of the prairies there; says, this is the first time he has seen prairies in their beauty, more gorgeous than the richest carpets and [sweeter scent?] the vanilla, or violets etc — right in the midst of Cacti, Mimoseae, Palmaceae, Yucca etc. — I hope much from this years collection;

Fremont left here last week; he was very clever; he is withall an enterprising young man, cautious & persevering; and we must recognize that he shows a taste for natural sciences, especially botany, which we find seldom among his class. — Pity that he has the foible to wish to do every thing himself — (morbid ambition ?) I did what I could to instruct and assist him. —

Yesterday (I write on the 11th) I was perfectly astonished to see Mr Halstedt, who just arrived from the prairies, having given up his trip in consequence of a series of misfortunes. Mr Leconte has gone on.

Write soon again Very truly yours G. Engelmann

Single 25 [faded postmark] St. LOUIS JUNE 11 [Mo.]

Prof Asa Gray Cambridge Mass.

Box 4 plants sent from New Orleans on June 2d per ship Corsica to Fay & Farwell, Boston for Dr Gray. 43 Cacti Endlicher says that all Cactaceae have black seeds; but my Opuntia frutescens has white ones and they germinate now, in July, after having been in the ground 3 or 4 months; with two large (at first 1/2, then to 1 inch long) oblong linear cotyledons!

Are the fascicles of spines with their tubercles, which are plain in Mammillaria, but less distinct and confluent in Cercus & Echinocactus, are they leaves or branches? I should think the first. The short spines of the Opuntias correspond with the to [?] of many Cereus; Echinocactus etc — the flowers come out of their centre but always out of the axills of the spines proper.

The genera of Cactaceae appear not to be well characterized. Might it not also be of importance to pay attention to the production of the flowers above (or in the axills of) the bundles of spines of the same year, or of last year. Of the few that I have now seen in flower, my two Echinocacti and my Mammillaria sulcata produce the flowers in the axills of the bundles of spines of the same year, and my Cereus caespitosus in those of last year; Opuntia vulgaris also has the flowers on the joints (branches) of last year. —

I shall be much obliged to you for live specimens of all our Cactaceae from the upper Missouri, {Mammillaria} & {Opuntia} — and if I should obtain any from there, I shall send you specimens. Compare O. fragilis well, before you say that our frutescens is the same. Can you compare also M. simplex and M. vivipara from above with mine?

The Mammillaria seen by me in Gardens have all the flowers in the axills of the tubercles of last year, at least not at the top; but Nuttall's M. vivipara and my sulcata have them in the centre and in the axills of tubercles of this year and in a kind of tomentosus, which might be analogous with a Melocactus, only, not protruding. I have never seen a Melocactus. —

My Mammillaria similis will not come to flowering this season, but many of the leaves tubercles are also, though slightly sulcate, and produce at their base young branches, or clusters of tubercles, and sometimes also at their middle; M. sulcata has their ususally just below the spines at the upper and of the sulcus.

Echinocactus gymnocanthus has a ver woolly top and woolly flowers, and E. tenuispinus is glabous smooth, with glabra smooth flowers, with a long tube; it is just now in flower for 6 weeks to 2 months after the others. I was mistaken in describing the flower as very small, from a shrivelled fragment; it is about 2 inches long and wide with a etc — I shall describe it directly and request you to make the necessary changes in the former description. the description of the flower must be altered [loss]:

I have examined my Liatris mucronata etc and find specimens from 5 or 6 different localities, but most have been collected on the Brazos in August 1843, and they are undoubtedly distributed in all or most of the sets; but I have no doubt that I also put some from Houston, from Galveston, & from the mouth of the Brazos among the others, especially in the first sets, as some of the latter were finer specimens. I have retained from the Brazos unfortunately only a very poor & small specimen, which appears to me rather L. acidota, as you suggest, but I have no doubt it is possible that mucronata DC! is also amongst the set some of the sets. — L. mucronata has been collected by {Lindheimer} near Houston and near the mouth of the Brazos. L. acidota on the Brazos near San Felipe, also near Houston (these are the finest & freshest specimens in the lot) and near the mouth of Buffalo bayou in Galveston bay. L mucronata from Houston (which I have sent you) has sessile heads and a very slender spike, but the specimens from the mouth of the Brazos have a thick and compact, though very long spike; — flowers in both smaller Achenia more pubescent than in both the L. acidota! — This one has very frequently somewhat pedicalled heads! —

Cuscuta oxycarpa! I have received a week or two ago a fine lot of Cuscutae from Europe; therein besides the European & asiatic species near twenty from south america & the Westindies, and quite a number from the U. States, mostly collected by Rugel 1841. I believe the same collected the first specimen seen by me of C. pentagona, which you sent me well, in this collection I find a nearly identical speciemen, also from Portsmouth virginia! — Also the same plant from Florida. Also Cuscuta neuropetala from Florida!! C. oxycarpa from the {mountains} of N. Carolina, and perhaps a new species, which I have called C. glandulosa from Florida; I have seen the same from Louisiana in the Herb. And Philadelphia. — Rugel's plants I got from Mr Shuttleworth at Berne. In a printed label he names my C. oxycarpa I don't know whether it is published any where; or only distributed with specimens. Drummond has also collected my C. polygonom at St Louis, I find. — Shuttleworth pretends that my C. pentagona is C. arvensis Beyrich; and C. compacta = C. coronata Beyrich. I have not looked through the others yet, but this is all I can learn about the North American specimens.

How can Brazoria be a Phybostegia? It is impossible, and I for my part would insist on the genus! calyx, corolla, anthers, annual growth, every thing and especially the seeds constitute difference enough I should think. You find more about it under Nro 287 second collect. —

I do not think that Monarda lindheimerum is published any where but I have sent specimens & seeds away under that name De-[loss] Benth. [loss]-losa not comprise different species?

AllMonardas examined by me, some 10 02 12 species, have 13 nerves, only M. aristata has 15!

If Eriorheon is an Eriogonum, I don't know how to examine the generic character of a plant; there are many genera less distinct than these!

Croton capitata is even in Texas in the richest soil a low plant seeds larger and flatter etc vide No. 304 second coll. Moraea or Eustylis compare also my notes in letters of last March or April.

Spartina. I believe that all the specimens distributed were collected on Galveston Island in saline prairies in black clayey soil, in flower in May. They are small, about a foot high, and tho flowers smaller than in Juncea or cynosuroides, the only ones which I know. But I have also a specimen collected on the seacoast also in black saline marshes, in flower in July, and 4 feel high; leaves the same, flowers very similar, but a little larger; I send a few flowers of both. I may have distributed one or 2 specimens of this from with the others, but am not sure, and rather doubt it. Sp. juncea was collected with this last.

Echinocactus setispinus — — floribus in vestive sub depresso laevei glabro supra fasciculos hodiernos (of this years growth — I don't know wether the word is correctly used) ex tomento flavidulo provenientibus; calycis tubo, infund buliformis tubo elongato, glaberrimo, sepalis numerosis, infimis orbiculatis obtusis superioribus ovatis cuspidatis, summis elongatis, lanceolatis, acutis, omnibus margine membranaceis, tenuiter ciliatis, petalis patulis, oblanceolatis acutis integris, numerosis, basi miniatis, ceterum pallide sulphureis; staminibus inclusis, filamentis ex toto tubo ortis, acuminaticois, stylo supra stamina longe exserto stigmate 6-7-fido, sulphureo, lobis recurvis.

Flowers 20 to 21 lines long, 24 lines in diameter, in my specimen 5 in number, in the axills of the new bundle of spines of this years growth, sprining from a very short yelllowish tomentum but entirely glabrous. Above the bundle of spines and between them and the flower we find a short (hardly a line long) terete, obtuse and persistent, sort of a leaf- or bract-like organ, mostly single in a few instances two, side by side, when young fleshy; when old dry and longitudinally nerved. The short oval ovary and the funnel shaped tube are together about 9 lines long, and covered with 20 to 30 scaly sepals, green in the middle, with membranaceous delicately ciliate margins; larger interior sepals about 20 also ciliate; petals 25 to 30 with en-[loss] marg-[loss] [oss]-phur —

yellow with a very rich scarlet colour at base, filaments orange, rather short; style much longer.

In flower (cultivated in St Louis) in July, 6 to 8 weeks after the others; flowers open two days and only in sunshine. ______

[faded postmark] [St. LOUI]S JUL Mo.

Prof Asa Gray 45. Cambridge Mass.

I heard from Geyer to day by a letter dated Honolulu, January 11th. He was his way to England; says he has collected much, and new things in the north eastern parts of Oregon will communicate plants from England.

The 2 Poas, 213 & 214 appear to me so very distinct; and both bear seed! Proportion of parts of flower is also different!

Now I believe I have answered your letter of July 5th as well as I could; I hope it may come in time for the printing. Yours truly G Engelmann