Box 10, Folder 3: Correspondence 1866

J.W. Robbins

Uxbridge, Mass., 8th Oct [Sept. crossed out] 1866

Dear Sir, Your letter and its contents, so promptly and obligingly sent in answer to my request, came seasonably to hand and in good condition. I remark in regard to then, first, that The petals of the Actaas [Actaeas], which with the flowers I have displayed and attached to your labels, afford cumulative proof, from distant new localities, of the specific distinctness of the two so called varieties; those of the A. alba having the same dilated and truncate or marginate and inflared extremity and those of the A. rubra being simply acute. I was particularly desirous of the fls. of the var. of A. alba with red fruit and large pedicels & those of the var. of A. rubra with white fr. and small pedicels; but those varieties are very rare and I doubt if a single botanist in the country has ever collected them except in fruit. Cardamine. I would like to know if any

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...American botanist has ever found this plant (excepting of course the miscalled var. Virginica) elsewhere than in streams or at least in their dried channels. The habitat of your specimens, in this report, is not noted, but its roots indicate it to have been aquatic. As it is not marked "to be returned" & is from Milwaukee, I retain it. The European plant never grows in water and the typical form has but four stamens; ours bring tetradynamous. I have no doubt that they are distinct and that therefore the name C. Pennsylvanica should be restored. I thank you for the payment of Hypericum. It can scarcely be either H. prolificum or Kalmianum. I shall probably have to compare it with Prof. Gray's specimens to make it out. If it is needed to make your specimens complete I will, of course, return it. Perhaps your memory might enable you to give about its height & whether it grew in wet or shaded situations. Prunus depressa is not noted. You have probably not observed its ripe fr. to note its color or flavor. Ribes hirtillum [hirtellum], I see, was found by the

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Agassiz expedition on the north shore of L. S.; but the other two species, so far as I know are know, are new to the lake, tho' I have not Whitney's catalogue. The so called R. rubrum I found and think it distinct. Have you not found it in this? Dr. [Casey?] has found it, but perhaps not near his present home. The Corispermum I hope you can well spare. It is a most welcome addition to my collection from the south shore. Mr. Loring of the Agassiz Ex. found it on the north shore. It is indeed identical with the plant of southern Europe & the Caucasus? The specimen of Potamogeton enclosed is the P. pectinatus which is occasionally found far inland. The plant, which I think you showed me and which I believe came from Madison, with spikes very long & slender & fls very distant, is a remarkable state of this species and I would recommend it to your special attention, whenever you may be at Madison in the season, to ascertain whether it is merely a sport. You will find enclosed a var. of Potamogeton which I collected a few days since, with no fls or fr. & with scarcely a perfect floating leaf.

It seems most nearly allied to P. gramineus, L. according to Fries (P. heterophyllus in part of some authors), best is uniform in its single locality & I have seen no specimens of P. gramineus which approximated very nearly to it. As I suppose you have very considerable European collection as well as American, will you please see if it can be identified with any of yours. You may observe that there are frequently (in your specimens rarely) minute serratures to be seen, under a lens, near the extremity of the leaf. I am endeavoring to propagate the plant near at hand so as if possible to obtain the fruit. Respectfully & truly, Yours &c., J. W. Robbins.

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[Right page] B. D. Gilbert

Utica, Oct. 1st 1866

Dr. Lapham, Dear Sir,

I fear you will consider me very remiss in my duties as a Correspondent; but really your little bundle was so acceptable & contained such excellent things that I was unwilling to write you until I could also send a few things at least in return. I send accordingly some specimens of plants which are rare with us, & which I hope may be enough so with you to make them desirable. Probably you already have Scolopendrium from Chittenango, but the new locality of the one sent may lend it some little interest. The package is by no means so large as I wish it might be; but not Knowing what

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...are your desiderata, I have sent only such things as there was some likelihood of your being without. If you will send a list of what would be desirable to you I will try to help you with some of our eastern things.

And now let me say how much I was pleased with your package. Your fragment of C. lanuginosa is really a very respectable specimen - as good as any I have seen. And you could hardly have put in anything more apropos than the Aspid. fragrans. I had only a single frond before, which came from Upper Canada, & was poorly pressed at that. So you may imagine how welcome were your perfect, & beautifully pressed specimens. And as for the other things, they were all new to me, except the Allosorus gracilis, of which I can supply you with specimens two or three N. Y. localities if you desire.

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Perhaps it may be well enough to mention to you a few things which I am anxious to get, & with which you may possibly be able to supply me. Of Aspid. Lonchitis I have only a single small frond without fruit, sent to me by a correspondent from Canada. Polypodium incanum I also lack a good spec. of. I have duplicates of nearly all our other desirable ferns & can supply you with them. Among the Orchids I should like - Platanthera obtusata - do. leucophaea - Listera convallarioides - Bogonia [Begonia] pendula - Microstylis monophyllos - Liparis liliifolia - Corallorhiza macraei

Hoping to hear from you again, I remain Yours very truly Benj. D Gilbeck