Phelps, Henry, 1766-1852. Botanical Memorandum of Henry Phelps, 1790. B MS Misc., Countway Library of Medicine.

Botanical Memorandum

1790 June 1st Found a plant to appearance of the second Monogynia Class — but could not find it in the Dr Cutlers Botanical paper — mentioned it to Capt Sargent who enclosed the plant and sent it to him with his thoughts respecting it & on receiving an answer Mr Sargent communicated the contents to me — of which the following is an Extract.

''The plant is a Geranium of ye [the] Monadelphia Class, & decandria order. It is No 832 in ye late editions of Linn. Gen. Plant System Vegetablinum. You will find it in my botanical paper p 469 — Common Cranesbill. In an advanced stage of the blossoms, the filaments appear unconnected, & would naturally be supposed to belong to ye decandria monogynia, but if you examine the blossoms just as it is expanding, you will observe ye filaments united at ye base, & seperate at the top wch [which] is an essential character in the monodelphia Class. This character is not so strong in this species of ye Cranes-bill as in many others, but there is a striking family likeness in the fructification & habit of all the species of ye Geranium, & ought to be placed under the same Genus."

"I recognised the plant instantly on opening your Letter, but as we have several species, I wished to compare the specific characters with that of the common Cranesbill in this vicinity. This led me to detect an error in ye arrangement I have made of this plant in my botanical paper which I had not before discovered. I had conceived it to be the Geranium macrohizum [macrorrhizum], & given it ye characters of ye species in my paper — but I now find it to be Geranium maculatum No 57 in Linn. Syst. Veget. G. pedunculis bifloris, caule dichotomo erecto, fol. quinquepartitis incisis: summis sessilibus."

"The root of this species of Geranium is powerfully astringent, & joined with the marsh Rosemary (Statice Limonium) is a good medicine in inflamed, ulcerated sore throats used as a Gargle — as a discutient also in cases of hard and inflamed swellings, —"

Geranium Moschatum or Mountain Cranesbill grows in plenty by Coll Collins Black house & at the Head of the harbour on the hill, & by the Sea Shore.

Geranium Maculatum grows in dry fields among bushes as by Tarbox's Lane so called up in Town: & also West of the burying Ground.

[right side] Lysimachia or Loosestrife I found in Bushes low Land not watery — by my Fathers Meadow on the left of the Lane. South of the Gate —

Ipomaea American Tea — grows in the same place where I found the Loosestrife —

Anagallis Pimpernel with phenician flowers. It grows in plenty under the tuft trees & just above the rocks of the Sea Shore at Eastern Point. June - July

Agrimonia

Dedecand bygin It grows at Eastern Point south of the Tuft of trees in a pasture & at Parson Torbes farm head of the harbour —

Hieracium Poor Robins Plantain — Captain Sargent found it as he was riding to S Bay just beyond Colla Fosters Farm house on the right hand before ascending the great Hill —

Lysimachia — * Multifloris L. Vulgaris & L paniculata: racemis terminabiles.

July Memm found a plant growing in moist meadows plentifully Caulis square obtusely & fluted, branched Leaves lanceolate ovate — entire — opposite sessile branches arise from the axilla of the leaves — Flowers in a spike yellow

This page is not transcribed, please help transcribe this page

Leaves aleinate- multi-lobate a tripartite Capusle long and unilocular containing a great many small black seeds - June - July Dedynamia Angyohemia 74~ Melamlym Cal. 4-from Corone lab [illegible] replicate. Caps 2 local, [illegible] 2, gibba Sylvatieum 5 M. for seconds; bacteria, for Conjungation remote; [illegible] July- it is now in full bloom in the woods in great plenty Synglenesia Monogamia[illegible] Lobelia Cal. 5 figure. Corolla petals, irregular, [illegible] inform 2L. 3- local follow information Lobelia 4 S..[illegible] [illegible] I have met with a short growing by wall, in bushes and on ledges, known[illegible]under the name of Cancer Weed and used by common people to wash cancer and foul ulcers, which I think belongs to the class of the Class and Order of approach nearer to the species above ground than any other [illegible] - fragile, full of a milky juice Leaves let out a winged form- lateral, opposite, Calyx[illegible]found with the Segment within- Corolla [illegible] undercycle[illegible] turning out Stamina 5, very hot; anymore longitudinal a long on the stamina their side [illegible] and to form a cylinder enclosing the entire stigma

Dydcnania Gymnosphecnia Gelophsis internodii canliri suherne rotin, merilicilli gummi subcontignis Amheal, Henh failed dead metric He grows in handy around the shore of Eastern Point Ocean There is a small plant which grows on the seashore among the rock which I found high above four branches the flower is male a royal colour purple, they have four long a flour very short in stamina capped by anywhere one origin the capsule in a long liquid containing many small pepper seeds Decano Monogye Pyrola Rhermathym weeds grow plentifully in our woods flowers in June Orchids especially with yellowish whole flowers grow plentifully in our meadows root there long loves August Decano Monogyr [illegible] grows very plentiful in all our meadows flowers purple [illegible] Syngonelia Monogamia Lobelia Toli integemini Dortmanna L. [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] integemini candle submindo [illegible] [illegible] found it growing on the south side E Point pond in the edge of the [illegible] [illegible] 17 in full bloom