Elliott, Stephen, 1771-1830. Stephen Elliott papers, 1791- approximately 1947. Letters from William Darlington to Stephen Elliott. gra00020. Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Botany Libraries, Harvard University.

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Correspondence from West Chester, Pennsylvania, botanist, physician, and politician William Darlington (1782-1863) to Elliott, dated August 31, 1827, regarding their exchange of plant specimens. Darlington writes he specifically seeks a specimen of Prunus hyemalis, which Elliott described in A sketch of the botany of South-Carolina and Georgia. In a letter dated December 14, 1827, Darlington says he is forwarding a box of specimens to Elliott, and responds to his enquiries regarding Caltha palustris and Ranunculus marilandicus. An undated letter to Elliott requests a number of specimens mentioned in his sketch and refers to Darlington’s ideas on opening public herbaria.

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31st Aug— 1827 C0m Darlington

Stephen Elliott L.L.D. &c. Charleston South Carolina

West-Chester, Penn. Aug. 31. 1827.

Dear Sir, I had the pleasure a few days ago, to receive yours of the 26th July, accompanying a package of 56 specimens of Southern plants, in an elegant state of preservation. I can= =not sufficiently express my sense of your kindness, in thus promptly adding to my collection, & offering a further remittance when opportunity presents. I had not expected you to take that trouble; but was in hopes some young botanist in your vicinity might be willing to engage in an exchange of specimens. Since, however, you have so politely offered to make occasional ex= =changes, I shall gratefully accept the proposal; and will exert myself to obtain & forward such specimens as you may from time to time indicate as desirable. I believe I shall be able to furnish specimens of the greater number of those annexed to your letter; & any that may be deficient, this season, I shall bear in mind, & endeavor to pro= =cure next year, if I live. Since my catalogue was printed, I have ascertained, from Dr. Torrey, that a few of the species are either erroneous or doubtful; although I had the authority of Mr. Schweinitz for the most of those which were difficult to determine. Some others are extremely rare, & I shall probably not be able to furnish good specimens of such: but still I hope to send you an acceptable package.

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My other engagements sometimes cause me to neglect my specimens, whilst drying — & they consequently become mouldy, or otherwise damaged. Indeed, I have rarely been able to preserve my plants so perfectly & handsomely as those which I have received from you.

As you have kindly proposed to send me another package in November next, I beg leave to ask the favor of a specimen of the Prunus hyemalis, of your sketch. A branch containing a few perfect leaves will be suffi= =cient. I would thank you to accompany it with a notice of the , color of the fruit, which is not mentioned in your work. I have a suspi= =cion that it is the P. americana, of Marshall, & of my catalogue; & am anxious to ascertain the fact. The fruit is just now ripe with us; & I have procured a drawing of a small branch, with the mature fruit — which I propose to have engraved, & pub= =lished in one of our scientific journals. The obscurity in which our native Plums are involved, — & especially this above species, has induced me to have the drawing made; & hence my desire, also, to learn the precise character of your P. hyemalis. If I had the means, & the leisure to examine the living species of Prunus, in this country, I would attempt a monograph of the genus, so far as we have it. It appears to me that our

difficult genera can only be satisfactorily elucidated & determined in that way. —

You may expect to receive a package from me, by one of the Charleston Ships, as soon as the herborizing season is over.

In the mean time, I remain, Dear Sir, with the most profound respect, your obliged Friend & obedt. [obedient] Servt. [Servant] Wm. [William] Darlington

Stephen Elliott, L.L.D. &c Charleston S.C.

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West-Chester, Penn. Decem.14. 1827.

Dear Sir, I now have the pleasure to forward, herewith, such of the specimens in your list of Desiderata, as I have been able to procure. The season for some of them had gone by, when I received your list; and others, being somewhat rare, I have not had the good fortune to meet with: But if I live till another year, I will endeavor as far as practicable to comply with your request. I had, in the early part of the season, sent away all my du= =plicates of our rarer plants. —

You enquire respecting the Southern boundary of Caltha palustris. I am unable to answer further, than that it is very common here, and I think, also, it is frequent about Washington City — which has been the extent of my observation to the South. The Ranunculus marilandicus, of which you desire a speci= =men, is unknown to me: though it may possibly grow in this region. I am not very well acquainted with that family of plants. Some of the species seem to me to be difficult to distinguish, by the descriptions in the books. The Agrostis stricta, of my Catalogue, which you have asked for, Dr. Torrey pronounces to be nothing but an Aira. I inserted it on the authority of Mr. Schweinitz, who examined the specimens: but they were not good ones — and he appears to have fallen into a mistake. —

I shall be extremely indebted to you for any of the Southern plants contained in the list which I forwarded to you last spring, and which you have not already favored me with: and if at any time you should desire specimens for yourself, or your correspondents, of those which are to be had in this vicinity, I hope you will freely command my services, so far as I am competent to render any. It will give me great pleasure to be able in any degree to return your kindness. —

With the highest respect, I am, Dear Sir, Your obed.t servant, Wm. Darlington

Stephen Elliott L L D. $c.} Charleston, S.C. }

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Dec. 14 — 1827.

Stephen Elliott L L D. Sr.

with a package of } Charleston Botanical Specimens } South Carolina

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W Chester Pa paid [20?] Mar 2nd

Stephen Elliott, L.L.D. {Legum Doctor} Charleston, South Carolina

Dear S[ir]

I [loss] your favour of [N]ovember last — and also a copy of your excellent address, delivered at the opening of the Medical College, in Charleston: for which I request you to accept my thanks.

Encouraged by your polite letter, I have taken the liberty to enclose to you a long list of plants, which are described in your Sketch of the Botany of the Southern States — and of which, or any of which, I am very desirous to possess specimens: But I beg leave to explain myself before you form an opinion, as to the apparently exorbitant & unreasonable extent of my desires. I am not so presumptuous as to lay such a list of desiderata before you, with a view to ask your attention to them all — much less to tax your goodness with procuring them for me. My ideas are simply these. I have long thought it very desirable, for the interests of American botany, that the plants of different and distant parts of the United States should be brought together, in herbariums, for the purpose of comparison, — and in order to as= =certain whether we always mean the same things, when we use the same names. A public herbarium, for instance, might be formed in each of the four great divisions of our Country — viz. in the Northern, Mid= =dle, Southern, and Western States: and by a liberal cor= =respondence, and exchange of specimens peculiar to each region, it seems to me the project might be accomplished with comparatively moderate labor and expense. Its utility in rectifying errors, and promoting a true knowledge of plants, — especially among young Botanists, — would, I think, be very great: and upon the younger class I would put the principal labor of making such collections — relying upon the more experienced for the prevention of mistakes. So strong have my convictions become, on this head, that I have engaged some gentlemen of this place to embark with me in the attempt; and we

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