Cutler, Manasseh, 1742-1823. Manasseh Cutler papers, 1782-1856. Plants and trees examined, Book I and V. gra00062. Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Botany Libraries, Harvard University.

Plants & Trees examined April 26th

Book I & V —

Scunk-weed, or Skunk-Cabbage Arum Americanum, Beta folio. Catesby. Vol. 2. Class Tetrandria, Monongymia — compound flower.

Calyx. Monophyllous perianthium, forming a kind of spatha by ye roling together of ye mergin of ye leaf, con= =taining a capaciuos cavety at ye base, gibbose, tapering toward ye apex & terminating in a reflex point. The calyx rises from ye root [taper?] a flatish peduncle 1/2 an inch thick, before ye leaves of ye plant appear. ⁠— very thick succulent, smooth & glossy beautifullly clouded with red & green, somewhat like marble paper.

From ye base of ye flower cup rises a round pedicle half an inch long, on which stands ye florets an ovate form, closely con[nect?] [?]ther, about ye size of a [a?] [app?]earing much like [?]

Plants & Trees examined April 26th Book I & V ⁠—

Scunk-weed, or Skunk-Cabbage Arum Americanum, Beta folio Catesby. vol. 2.

Class. Tetrandria Monogymie ⁠— compound flower.

Calyx. Monophyllous perianthium, forming a kind of spatha by ye roling together of ye mergin of ye leaf, con= =taining a capacious cavety at ye base, gibbose, tapering towards ye apex & terminating in a reflex point. The calyx rises from ye root [tap?] a flatish peduncle 1/2 an inch thick, before ye leaves of ye plant appear, ⁠— very thick succulent, smooth & glossy beautifully clouded with red & green, somewhat like marble paper.

From ye base of ye flower cup rises a round pedicle half an inch long, on which stands ye florets an ovate form, closely con[nected?] [?]ther, about ye size of a [?] [app?]earing much like [?]

2) [?] florets are disposed in diago= =nal rows.

[Cor]ol. The corolla, which are four to each floret, rise perpendicular from ye pericarpum, succulent, sessile, ye apex truncate. The florets are very closely pressed together, & give ye sur= =face of ye compound flower much ye appearance of ye surface of ye Pine Apple.

Stem: The Stamina are four succulent, filaments flat filiments, inserted into ye common receptacle & somewhat longer than ye corolla. The Anthera erect, adhering laterally to ye apex of ye filiments.

Pist. One style, longer than ye stamina. The apex of a roundish redish colour. Stigma flatish & divided at ye summit.

Germ. A common receptacle, containing ye seeds surrounding a porous or [spring?] substance.

The flower-cup appears early in ye spring, & as it approaches a state of perfection, which is within a few weeks, the leaves begin to appear. [The?] root is fibrous, white [?] [?] kind. The leaves [?] [?] [?olled] hard in approximity to [?]

3) their apex appearing first, & as they rise they open & expand, usually coming coming up at a small distance from ye flowers. They are very large, stand on short peduncles, of a light green, below large ribs of ovate form tho^. broadest at ye base. Some of them are inches high & inches broad. When ye leaves are come up ye flower withers & soon disappears, but ye leaves continue untill ye latter part of [sum=] =mer. It has no stalk.

Seeds.

This curious plant grows very plentifully in moist ground, in meadows & swamps. ___________________

783. Book I.

March 1st: Observed the female male of ye white Poplar in blossom ⁠— examinded ye spikes ⁠—

The dogwood or white Willow, blossom in ye swamps ⁠—

[March?] 30th Black or upland Alder in [?] examined ye spikes ⁠—

4) April 1st No. 1 Examined ye flossom of ye Dioecia White Poplar. The spike is long & hairy, Decandrea thrown out from a kind of catkin ⁠— ye flowers are set very close with their disk towards ye apex & horizontal to ye stem. The germin, a leaf thrown off from ye stem -- terminates with long white hairs The anthera a sect close together on ye base of ye germin. Could perceive no Pistel nor any filiments. The Anthera seem to be each divided in to 4 segments or are striated. The number 8 or 10 ⁠— could not deter= =mine exactly ⁠— of a deep murrey colour.

No. 2 Exam. the spike of ye Alder, Monoecia our small upland Alder ⁠— could not Triandria discover ye distinct parts of ye fruitificao. ⁠— a vast quantity of farina ⁠— have not doubt of its being of ye Class Mon. Triand. The flowers seem to stand in a spiral form, turned from S. to W.

No. 3 Exam. the spike of a white Willow, or dog-wood ⁠— grows in swamps. The spike appears a thic covered with a white thick down ⁠— they are hairs which terminate & small petal or germen thrown off from ye round stem or rib of ye [?] in disk of this petal is 2 or 3, & per[?] double anthera. could not determ.