Engelmann, George Dec. 14, 1842 [2] (seq. 71)

I will send you some plants in some journal, and among others a few more
branches of this
Aster. I doubt wether I can get a root, if I can, you shall have one. To you as
botanical gardener or gardening botanist it will be interesting to learn that
amongst
Lindheimers plants was a bulbus plant, where though the bulbs were cut in
halves,
I found a little young bulb living, planted it, and it grows! Seeds I have
not yet got from him. This bulb is perhaps a new genus, like amaryllis
but with a very long tube of corolla; like Crinum but smaller, and
one flowered; however we shall see when it grows. As I have the roots there
I sent you drawings of these Texas Asters; one is a Tripolium, perhaps T.
linifolium
but longer ligales, larger leaves grows in brackish swamps — I have only
one flowering head, as you see = the drawing. — The other is an Aster,
belonging
to concinnus, near virgatus; which I have called vernalis collected end
of March on moist praries near Houston; of this I include a head, and shall
send you a specimen.— I am afraid to trust to the Mississippi any
valuable plants; a few weeks ago I lost 2 parcels for Mssrs Carpenter
and Riddell.— May not Hookers {Cuscuta} cononata from New Orleans be our L.
aspressa?
also on a Laurus!

Aster heterogenus, or the name of A. anomalus would be preferable? I
leave
you the choice; petioles not margined, (only on the large specimens on the
upper
leaves somewhat;) but dilated at base.

Aster ramosissimus — scoparius would be a better name, or is junceus
preoccupied? a singular plant of saline prairies near the Galveston bay.
I send you a drawing and a few branches. I have only a single flowering head;
ovaries glabrous! —

The Cuscuta which you sent me a year ago belong all to vulgivaga except
the one on Saurauia and the Pelagona; those for Mr Carey also; only one is
vermosa.

I shall look through my Compositae and take notes for you; that
I may trouble you with another long letter soon.

I include my additions to Cuscuta, and wish you may have it published.
I think it better to wait not longer; many obsesrvations and remarks,
[loss]ish have nothing to do with the identification of the species
[loss] have left out; the drawings at the bottom are for you; please
[loss] the off, and just them away in your copy of the paper.

I think Aster is an easier genus than Vernonia. I am nearly satisfied
[loss] all our Vernonias: noveboracensis, praealta, baldwinii, arkansana &
[loss?] altissima are one and the same! I shall send you forms between
Arkansas &
[loss]lta; collected with the first one. From fastigiata to praealta we see all the
[loss]itions as we advance from wet prairies and rather swampy places to dry
land; altissma is the form in shady rich woods, arkansana on sandy
riverbanks, baldwinii dry, barren sunny hilly country, and praealta
everywhere!
I see nothing to add at present and close.

Truly yours
G. Engelmann

Would you advise to change Lepidanche adpressa to
Choisy's name: Lepidanche compacta? Perhaps it would be better
but the same would be much more appropriate for the other species!
However if you say so, please to get those which I have not,
[loss], spectabilis, gracilis, undulatus, greenii, laxus, praealtus, elodes,
[loss]tium acuminatum , nemoralis, unifolius, perhaps Mr Carey would
furnish them.

Notes on Aster.
Aster macrophyllus collected by me on Manitou Island, and in Michigan. My
specimens os A. corymbosus
for Mr Lapham are nothing but this plant, grown in shade, with the inner leaves
A. paludosus Texas, Galveston, Lindheim. a very rigid plant, totally different
from a plant which Mr Curtis
sent me lubellum A. paludosus? which is perhaps A. surculosus.
A. phyllolepis Texas Lindheimer
A. phyllolepis β. argyrolepis collected by me on the prairie of southwest
Arkanasas, a
stouter plant, with considerably large heads, old leaves not smooth but
scabrous
above, and canescent and scales canescently pubescent, scabrous when old
A. ramosissimus might be called an Aster collected near the coast by Mr
Lindenheimer, apparently
similar to A. scoparius Dec, which name would be very appropriate too.
perrenial, lowest
cauline leaves lanceolate, firm, very scabrous; leaves of the numerous virgate
branches
small, linear lanceolate, adpressed involucrum leaves acute, lanceolate adpressed
Acheni glabr.
belongs to concinni ? very near azureus!; perhaps near brachyphylli also!
A. patens Texas — I have never seen the form phlogifolius
A. laevis common here in all forms
A. virgatis Ell? fron Texas, Lindheim but achenia pubescent, inflorescence
racemose
A. vernalis n.sp. Texas, Lindheim, near virgatus & [granulatum?] apparently,
ovary slightly pubescent!
A. turbinellus common here in open grass woods, dry hilly soil.
A. azureus common in all sizes and shapes; our most common species in
prairies
and open woods, and every where on road sides etc. Small and large 6 inches
to 3 feet
nearly smooth (except the scabrous leaves) to rough hairy; flowers larger &
smaller;
our earliest Aster, end of July to Octob.
A. zureus β vernus, Texas Lindheim. March and April together with A.
vernalis: lower
leaves entire, [arcuate?] or subcordate at base, lanceolate elongate; scale
of involucre ramouses, linear lanceolate, acute or acuminate.
A. undulatus never seen! is yours: throughout the United States correct?
A. cordifolius, glabrous, stem weak, leaves membraneous, heads very small,
flower
pale blue or white — together with another form with stouter stem,
pubescent firmer, leaves less largely toothed, inflores. an — more
compact
heads. little larger, flowers blue; I can find no other difference.
A. sagittifolius — what I take to be the true sagittifolius is a plant 2—4 feet
strict, few branches if any, smooth, few lowest leaves only cordate,
most
cauline ones [drawing] of this shape; panicle contracted, thyroid
flowers white growing in dry open woods margin of thicket
involucrum scales loose. — But there is another plant appare[loss]
quite different and if I am not much mistaken, the Durmmondi of St Lou[is]
which can hardly be any thing but a variety of sagittifolius, or a n[ew]
species between {sagittifolius}: H & Drumnondi. — Involucre the same, loose etc
flowers blue — whole stem & leaves pubescent, lower surface somati[loss]
canescently tomentose; always soft, leaves larger wider and
cauline ones more cordate; but Acheni
moist shady places.
A. drummondi! Texas; not yet seen here; Involucre not as loose as the last,
smaller
heads short peduncled, racemose, but not so crowded, leaves still more cord [loss]
smaller.
A. ericoides rare here, even on the richest black soil of a low Prairie
with Helianthus rigidus.
A. multiflorus common
A. dumosus — A. Tradescanti here
A. miser — all varieties which certainly are only varieties!
A. simplex well-defined rather common, nearly always perfectly smooth or
with [loss]
in lines; 2 remarkable varieties. 1) is very near A. carneus; only by th[loss]
shorter pappus and pubescent Achenia distinguished, same habitus etc.
rich shady banks of a slow stream; 2) muddy banks of the same stream loss]
with flowerheads larger, long peduncle, few, scales large, foliate [loss]