Asa Gray Correspondence files of the Gray Herbarium

Dicliptera thlaspioides Nees = 1465 Wright I take to be only a var. {variety} of D. resupinata Juss.

Thurber's No. 427 (Bachuachi Sonora) is intermediate — ___ Krynitzkia leiocarpa young & small. Rocky Mts. Bridges Pass. [?] Engelmann.

probably drew his character (excluding the evolvate species) from V. {Villarsia} reniformis & V. parnassiifolia. He could not have been mistaken in the dehiscence. Now it does not appear that any subsequent author has looked at those species critically. Bentham has given an additional species (V. latifolia) i.e. Pl. Hügel (quoted by Mueller in [Austr.?] & Nees {Nees von Esenbeck} in Pl. Preiss) {Plantae preissianae}. He describes the placentae — but not the dehiscence. Another species not in the Prodr. is V. capitata, Nees. Ic. The capsule in this was thought by Nees to be indehiscent, but it was probably not mature. So we have no account of any Villarsia which is positively said to be dehiscent at the ventral suture. If you know of any, please tell me. I had noticed the half adherent calyx in V. cristagalli, before knowing that H Bentham had observed the same character in V. latifolia, & Hooker, in V. involucrata (Ic. t. 725) which is probably V. capitata Nees. If Villarsia & its allies had illegible distinct petals, they would (as seems to me) closely approached Saxifragaceae — especially the group with 1-celled fruit. Look at that matter & give me your views. ___ I think you asked me to compare your Asclepias Nuttalliana with A. ovalifolia Dne. {Decaisne} — which, if I mistake not, was in {Eugène} Bourgeau's collection. I have done so, & have no doubt of their identity. Did I not once tell you that Nuttall's A. lanuginosa could not be the same, for N. himself referred that plant to his genus Polyotus, which is = Acerates. No matter now, since Decaisne's name must stand.

Sept. 8th. Sue Shaw told me this morning that if you have a very faint copy of that photograph, to spare, she would color it for me. She does such things very nicely.

I meant to have filled up this sheet — but there has been a large number of visitors at the office to-day & I have had no time to eat my dinner. Love to Jane.

As ever yours — J. Torrey

Blank packet Specimen Blank packet

Columbia College NY. June 9th 1862

My dear friend —

At length I am settled in my study, & I send you my first letter from this new sanctum. Maggie is busy at one of the tables, helping to arrange some portraits of botanists. I shall like my new quarters very much when the herbarium is in good working order. My assistant, Mr. Austin is a zealous, hardworking person, but he has much to learn. He has been of great use to me in preparing the rooms & getting them in order.

The house is still in confusion, but we hope to get rid of the workmen this week. The last call for troops took off some of them, so that we have had a scant supply & will have been

June 10th. If you have that extra copy of DC. Prodr. xvi. on hand I should be very glad to get it. Send my mail unless you have enough besides to make up a small parcel. Let me have a mem. of cost with the other items of my indebtedness that I have mustered. ___ Dewey recd. his Carex [mirata?] long ago. ___ When shall I see your notes on N.Am. Sp. of [Castellia?]? Would you not like to see my whole stock of the genus? I would, at any rate, be glad to get your names on them. Glad to hear that you have reduced the number of species.

It seems that the Phil. Acad. Sc. did not see fit to take your advice about cancelling the last part of Buckley's paper & perhaps it came too late. Mr. Schultz (my assist.) asks whether your dealing with B. is "smashing" or squeezing him gently to death? ___ Did I say that my journey to Rochester did me no good? I should have said no harm. I have been well ever since, & eat like a horse.

I will write more at length in two or three days. [?] ever — J. Torrey

New York, March 9th 1863

Dear Doctor —

I don't know how I came to neglect sending the money for the Gen. Pl. It was on my mind when I wrote last & the green back was ready — but I found it had not been enclosed. The X will pay for the book, & for the Linn. Soc. Proceed. If there is any thing else for which I am in arrears, let me know. I ought also to have sent you my notes on a few of Polemoniaceae from {Elihu} Hall & {J. P.} Harbour's Collection left with me by Eaton. — No. 456. Gilia pinnatifida, Nutt. mass. — 457 " inconspicua — var.? — 403 Collomia gracilis, Dougl. — 404 " linearis, Nutt. — 455 Phlox hoodii, Richards. — 454 " douglasii— 453 " " " var. — 453 " " " var. [canescens?] — 461 Gilia — not in Fl. Torr. or Fl. Gray. — 459 " aggregata, Spr. (= pulchella) 460.

[last page] not seen the act & know nothing of its provisions, except a single item contained in a letter received to-day from Mr. Wilson. He says that in the "third section of the act, it is enjoined, that the Academy shall hold an annual meeting at such place in the U.S. as shall be designated." He asks me, as one of the corporators, as what time I can attend such a meeting in New York.

As Henry was closing his letter, he heard of this, & advises me to attend the meeting. I don't know of one other "corporator" — but I presume that Henry is one — nor do I know what the object of the Society is. Of course you are on the list. Tell me what information you have received about this grand national institution! {National Academy of Sciences}

So we are to have a visit from your dear Jane — to be followed by one from yourself. We are on the qui vive — but tell us a few days before we may expect the good lady & I will meet her at the cars. Give her my love. Ever thine John Torrey

— 458 Gilia longiflora, Benth. 463 " spicata, T. & Gr. ) ( 450 Polemonium pulcherrimum ( 451 P. remarkable new species — but near the last. The character of P. must be altered a little to admit this species & even P. pulcherrimum. It connects the genus with Gilia, but in the latter the calyx are [X P. [confertum?]] always (I believe) acuminate-pungent, while in Polemonium they are herbaceous. 452 P. pulchellum 448} P. caeruleum 449} ______ 462. Was probably put by Eaton among his Polem. by mistake. It is Chamaerhodos erecta.

I have a long letter from Henry in which are some statements about the "American Acad. of Sciences" that confirm your & my suspicions about the secret history of that affair. Henry says, that some weeks ago, he had discussed with Bache & Davis the advantages of establishing a permanent commission,

to which should be referred the questions of a scientific character which might be presented to the government. It was then thought that an Academy could not be established with -out exciting a great deal of unpleasant feeling. The commission into which they were to draw associates was adopted by the Secty. of the Navy. The first intimation that Henry had after this, was illegible (on accidentally cal=ling at the Coast Survey) that the whole matter was in the hands of Senator Wilson!

Agassiz arrived in Washington the day that I left (Feby. 20th) &, instead of going di= =rectly to the Smithsonian, where he was ex=pected, put up at Bache's & did not go to Henry's till three days afterwards! The whole matter was concocted by the party assembled at the Coast Survey. When Henry commenced his long letter to me, he had not the least expectation of the bill passing Congress — Not until the 5th of March did he learn that the bill had become a law. So he was not one of the managers. I have