Harvard Botany Libraries

they will go more in the interior next spring. — I shall tell Lind. about the Gram. & Cyperaceae.

Has Hooker got the Cactus & Seeds? I learn that those, sent to Germany have arrived and are flourishing. — What you tell me about Geyer was of some interest to me; I hope he has honesty enough to write me soon and pay, or offer at least plants; and I think I will wait a short time, before mentioning any thing to Hooker, whom I would not lie to prejudice against Geyer if he only hehaves now.

But if you write to Hooker, please to tell him that the money coming to Lindheimer for Cactus, Seeds, and the 4 sets of plants would best be sent by remitting me a bill of exchange of some well known house in London, which I can easily cash here. The same you might do through some house in Boston, with the money from Green etc. Charge me with one half of the printing for extra copies. Have you sent one to Dr Darlington? Chapman? Knieskem? [NB. I have some years ago sent to Dr. K. a set of duplicates, whose receipt he acknowledged, but never returned any thing though he first requested an exchange. — ] Oakes? Dr. Carpenter etc.

You know that Hooker offered some years ago a loan of his Cuscutae for me to work them out. — I have since reviewed from Germany a large set, so that a beginning to study the summons & difficult South america — Species can be made, and have now written to him, accepting his offer, but never received an answer my letter was dated Dec 18th 1844. — His offer is a great one and I would never have thought of asking for it, if he had not offered on his own account.

Gordon has only? last November in Pittsburg, going to the "Mountains of Texas", where he has been this season, I do not know. He was with Sir Wm Stuart to the Rocky Moutains 1843

he collected well, but is no botanist, and unreliable, a drinker.

You must have got my last letter the day you mailed yours. The Mammillaria appeared to do well; it is very different from my M. sulcata, but resembles M. similis. Is it certainly M. vivipara? —

The Bumelias I do not know; I never could well determine those I have. Here I have never found one; but in the interior of the State is one, of which I send a leaf and flowers; I find a note: "corolla similar to {Bumelia} lycioids, 20 lobed, middle lobe of external 3 lobed segments largest; but calyx & peduncle woolly and corolla smooth inside (B. lyc. corolla hairy inside at base, smaller) perhaps B. lanuginosa". — Lindheimer has send several, one from Galveston appears the same as the missouri plant, one from the Brazos as acute but below woolly leaves, of which I also send one; one from Houston is similar but leaves sometimes obtusish and a little less hairy — (I include it) all these from Texas have woolly calyx. The last one is a young shoot with woolly spines. — One which I take for lyciodes I have from Buckley from Alabama under the name B. tenax, with lanceolate-acuminate smooth leaves. — ————— Continued from the other sheet ⦿ [bullet point], last letter, I have payed more attention to the species and found think I know now 6 forms of climbing Polygonia with shining nuts and alated Perigonia. 1) P. dumetorum, distinguished by the cordate hastate leaves 2) scandens 3) cristatum 4) my small one from here, with leaves & inflorescences of scandens, but fruit of cristatum 5. one with very large nuts, & wings which are decurrent fully to the nodule of the pedicell; — the supranodular part of which is naked in the others 6. A small species 1-2 feet high, with axillary flowers from Beardstown (Geyer) small nuts

and wings terminating abruptly, not decurrent! Now: are these differences in size of nut in size & shape of wings (and colour, 1.2.5 are white and 3.4. and 6 are green) in lenght and condition (naked or winged) of petiole peduncle of any importance, if we can not find some other characteristics. —— The above mentioned condition of P. aviculare, even it we have to consider it as the same species as the europen one, will prove it to be an indigenous plant! A thing of some importance in those times, where nativism becomes so prominent! — Polyg. cilinode I have never seen & should like to obtain it.

10 [postmark] St. LOUIS OCT 7 Mo. Prof. A Gray (Bumelia in) Cambridge Mass

Package of {Plantae} Lindheimerianae sent form W. & P. to W.D. Skillman, St. Louis,

[Note:] Brumelia from Missouri is the largest leaf & the flowers {Brumelia from} Brazos smallest about leaf {Brumelia from} longest obtusish leaf

I ought to tell you now of many observations on Cyperaceae made since I received Torrey's work (I could next year extent them on Gramineae if I had yours — could it not be obtained for love or money?) — but have no space or time (it is very sickly here and physic very busy). Only that we have2 forms of Trichelostylis autumnalis here, one without tubercule, the other with a persistent one, exactly like an Eleocharis!! — truly yours G. Engelmann

St Louis Nov. 29th 1845

My dear Doctor

My last letter must have met yours on the way; it was dated Octob 6th. Since that time I have received a long letter from Lindheimer, from August. He appears to have collected fine things but not as much as we want; he has not the skill to do these things quick and mechanically. In the letter were included fragments of plants; one was a Cassia? foliis unijugis — Many of the plants of that region must be the same as those of the Upper Arkansas! e.g. Mentzelia etc. About Cactus he makes some interesting remarks; our {Echinocactus} setispinus and {Cereus} caespitosus appear to be more fully develloped there, farther south and grow higher. He promises to send many — if they are not killed by our sudden and severe frosts (thermometer zero day before yesterday!) — Have you all the species living, which I sent you last spring? —

The surplus copies of {Plantae Lindheimerianae} I have got; but not yet Decandolle vol 9 — my copy was burnt in the great fire in {New} York! I expect also this (fall or) winter {Carl S.} Kunth's work from Europe. Is there any addition to Endlicher published since the 3d suppl? How is it that I hear nothing of Hooker? Have I offended him by reminding him of his offer to send me Cuscutaceae? However I must shortly get a letter from him about the money affairs. A bill on any good house in London can be easily cashed here. — I am astonished that Geyer should not have written me at all from England, after his long letter from the Sandwich Islands dated last February. — Do you hear any thing about his doings — He could not have done less than offered a set of his collection as past payment for

species will be copied into European Journals, and I should not like them to copy correct the errors also.

— I am sorry you have named an inconspicuous california plant Nicolletia; I had reserved that name for a showy or peculiarly interesting genus, so that a species could be named N. insignis or something like it. —

NB. In a list of species, hybrids & varieties of Cacteae for sale in a french market garden I find an Echinocactus texanus!! Is that E. lindheimeri?

I have still a few, the last, sets of Lindheim here, which I will send you, so that you may have some to spare for further applications. But they are the last sets, and the specimens much poorer than in the first ones, so that they may go cheaper. One for Mr Oakes I have already laid aside.

I intend to send you in future a specimen of every species collected by Lindh; — so that we may notice all, even such, where not enough is there for distribution; — in the same way as you noticed Pterocaulon virgatum etc. —

I have no doubt that Lindheimer will with pleasure send you bulbs seeds cactus etc. And he has now near San Antonio a little botan. Garden, where he collects living plants, so that you see he has already made the preparations. — He probably sends things best towards the end of March, so that they may reach you in April, when there is no more danger of their freezing. — If I get, as

his debt! If you want his plants only to look at, not to have them in your posession, I should think that it would not be necessary for you to go into the expense of buying them; you might just ask Geyer through Hooker to send me a complete set as part payment — But I dont want to make any offers to G. myself. — You may retain the plants till you have sufficiently examined them.

Do you expect to do any thing with the Flora shortly? Pity that you are not able to publish faster! —

I feel very much the want of a work on our Grasses, — is it not possible to get a copy of your Cyp. & Gramineae for love or money — I must have it.— I would also consider it a great favour to obtain the different treatises on N. American, especially western, fishes published since a number of years in the Boston journal. I would offer in exchange western fishes in alcohol, or the use of a considerable number of drawings of fishes, made by me since several years. — Buy your Gramineae is what I especially want. —

I shall send a good set of our plants ot Mr Carey, such as I have at disposal this fall, and will be glad if I can help a little to make him forget his immense loss.

A few weeks ago I succeeded to tear myself off from this place, and which I had not left since 5 years; and spent two weeks in a journey through our Mining region, south and south west of this. You will conceive that it was rather a poor harvest for the botanist to be made in November, but still I have found many interesting things — vestiges of better times! —I should like to

have written something for publicaiton about the Geology and Botany of this interesting and as yet little known country — but the botanical part would be too poor; and it would appear ridiculous to give an account of a botanical tour [initiated?] in November! Still I found even then some fine plants in flower

Decemb 7th

I had written so far, when I got your letter of Nov. 20th. The check was cashed without any difficulty. — I am very sorry that I can not have your Grammineae. — I shall write to Hooker as soon as I recieve the next Set of Lindheimer's plants & Cactus, so that I can communicate something new to him, and ask him again for the Cuscutae — and speak about Geyer. — But I am afraid I can not do so much in botany this winter as I wished, my medical practice keeps me too busy. — The Mississippi is frozen over since yesterday, and thousands cross the father of rivers now on foot, — hope that Lindheimer's Cactus are not 100 or 150 miles below here, where many boats from below wait the opening of navigation! They would be destroyed by frost. — When you have leisure, tell me, which of Lindheimer's Cactus are growing with you. I hope you have noticed the connections to Plantae Lindheimeria in the Boston journal, especially the Echinocactus setispinus (of which and of E. lindheimeri I include flowers in this letter), as the description of the new

St Louis Jan 3d 1846

My dear Doctor

Your favors of Nov. 27th and Dec 11th were received in due time. I have here the five last sets, 26 to 3 of {Lindheimer's} Plants, which I will send you with the first opportunity for Mssrs Oakes, Lowell Cleaveland and Durand, and the last for the next possible subscriber. But Hooker writes me that 2 of Lindheimer's parcels are still undisposed of; so that he musst have disposed of one, as you have sent him 3 — He says they are difficult of sale in England, as containing mostly the same plants as Drummond's. — Now, would it not be better to send them back to you, as Hooker can do that free of expense, and give them to Mssrs Oakes & Lowell; they would get more and probably better specimens than in the last sets which I have here. I leave that to your consideration, but shall send on all I have left, as soon as winter breaks.

An important object of my letter is to request your assistance in getting some thermometers made by the best maker of physical instruments of this kind in Boston. They ought to be of the description given in the inclose paper which please deliver to the maker. A gentleman from here, who has frequently assisted us by carrying parcels of plants, Mr Kimm from here, will call on the instrument maker for the thermometers in a few weeks; — perhaps you may have something for me too to give him. By the by, Hooker writes me, you had number of his journal for me down to No 47. — Dr {F.A.} Wislizenus, my friend, and since 5 years my partner, wants those thermometers to measure altitude with them, by the boiling point. He will leave here with spring for Santa Fe, Chihauhau, probably Durango & Zacatecas and finally California

Included a little grass from a letter from Lindheimer, what is it?

Though he is no botanist, he takes an interest in natural sciences generally, and has made himself so far acquainted th with them as to be able to collect well, which he has promised to do, specimens as well as seeds etc. So you see that this interesting journey will turn probably out to the benefit and advancement of botany also. And is even not impossible that a young physician from Germany may accompany Dr Wislizenus, who has made most interesting botanical collections in the south of France, and came warmly recommended by Prof A Branu: Dr Wunderly; The change will be fine then! — Therefore do undergo the trouble about the thermometer, and take care to entrust the thing to the right hands. Please leave a note for Mr Kimm at the house of ———— (I forgot the name, but I wrote to you about it in my last letter, when I requested to put any thing for me there) to tell him when he shall call for the thermometers. — Please tell the Instrument maker if necessary that you would be responsible for pay.

Lindheimer writes from the beginning of November; his collection is not larger than last years he says, but very fine; Seeds he has many, and especially fine Cacteae; and from his description there must be at least 4 which we not yet have; but he is afraid of our winters and will not send the Cactus before March — and so the other things, collections and all; about which I am very sorry, as now I have best leisure to arrange and examine them! — He has labored under many disadvantages part of the season, a slight tent, rainy or very hot weather etc, so that he could do not as much as he hoped. — He must do more coming season!

Hooker has sent me his Cuscutae! which is a grand thing in him, to trust one with so far off!

They will come through you on Wiley & Putnam; and may be here about the same time as Lindheimer's plants! very disagreeable! —

Fremont's plants I had in my hands; he permitted me to open the box. I arranged them and took notes. Among the Compositae I find a Grindelia, No 185 which is probably a new species and might be called G. papposa. Grindelia squarrosa 167 a variety? 81 Engelmannia! I have got it from others also from the same region and from Lindheimer from Texas. 58. Cosmidium gracile! 99 & 235 is probably a new species of Dysodia? intermediate between the two species in your flora 228 is your Palafoxia subradiata, but is it not a proper species? it appears to be so different from P. hookeriana. 109 & 179 Artemisia filifolia? 170 Senecio riddellii? Among the others I was struck with a remarkable Heliotropium with large white flowers; Cuscuta glomerata 93; Hoffmanseggia, Cyperus cyrtolepis? Hendecandra texensis, Euphorbia geyeri Verbena pinnatifida, a new ? species of Salvia, annual ? 200. a new ? Orobanche and others.

I am working through the Carices and Cyperaceae in general now; but find nothing very remarkable in any collection, as I had never collected those plants understandingly. I shall look to them next spring! —— {Carex} meadii appears different for C. panicea, but how with C. tetanica? which I do not know.

— I should like to work through my Gramineae also but have at present no work to help me along. How is Knuth in these classes? sufficiently explicit? I have ordered it from Europe and hope to get it, when the river opens, as it must be now in New Orleans.

I have so far said nothing about Geyer's conduct to Hooker; but The mean independent fellow has behaved so towards H. that I must now fully expose him. H. procurred him free passage with Hudsons bay Co ships, gave him a large room to arrange his plants etc etc,, when G. suddently intimated that he had under taken the whole voyage for Hooker and by his request and expected now H. to buy the whole collection from him!! When he could not come it that way , nor with an impertinent letter, he humbly apologized and appears to have ingratiated himself again with Hooker. — I must write now all about him, and shall do it by the next steamer. I myself can expect nothing from Geyer, if Hooker does not assist me. I had trusted the fellow so much, that I have no note or any thing from of him, and now hie does not even write me or make promises; he thinks, I know, that now, any more. — You

Lindheimer asks, whether he should also send roots, shhrubs etc — so that he meets your wishes half way, and I shall draw on you for $75 as soon as I find a good opportunity to send him the money.

Hooker says Cereus cespitosus {caespitosus} is the same as C. pectiniferus (? I can not read the name well.) His Cacteae have come well; but he does not mention the list of Plantae Lindheimer — you have understandably send them to him and enough copies for all the subscribers. I shall send a copy with each parcel of plants.

Apropos, how is it with the flora; I think Mr {Elias M.} Durand is right in his enquiries, but the crowd of new plants ought not to prevent the work for going on; when should it else be finished? Yours G Engelmann

[Asa Gray's note:] Arrvd 9 April

St. Louis March 20th 1846

My dear Doctor, Your letter of Feb 27th arrived in due time, for I was afraid something might have happened to you, sickness or so, as I was about 3 months without hearing from you — and also from Hooker's parcel, which according to a late letter of his, he expects in my hands since long time. —

I should be much obiged to you, to obtain for me a copy of {David Humphreys} Storer's Fishes, as you promise, and shall with pleasure send to him the drawings of about 15 or 20 of our fishes, and descriptions of them, which I have made several years ago, when I had more leisure than now. They may possibly be of some interest to him. I will send them in my next package of plants, which will be sent soon. I have lately distributed all my duplicates for the last 3 years, Geyer's and Lindheimer's included; — I have concluded to send you a specimen of each of Lindheimer's plants, whenever I have a duplicate; as in that way we shall be able, without a doubt or misunderstanding, gradually to get the whole flora of Texas and as you can also compare Drummond's; Riddle's and others collection; I have left out only those, where I have only one specimen, or such of [?], as I have already sent you.

I am very sorry that I did not know Mr Lowell's desire to obtain western plants; I could have

put aside quite a pretty little collection for him; but I shall do some yet, and pay attention to it coming season. I would desire very much to increase my library in this way; for example I should like to obtain in this manner the different journals of the Boston Society, the New York Lycenum and the Philadelphia Academy. By the way, would not some of our large and interesting and peculiar fishes, as the different species of Sturgeon and Shovelfish (Spatularia or Polyodon) be and excellent means of exchange? —

Hooker writes that he had sold the two remaining copies sets of Lindheimer's plants — but I am under the impression that you had sent him 3 more than he had subscribed for. — I originally sent him 4 (No. 1.2.3.4), and to you 4 more, than your subscribers had to get (19.20.21.22) No. 19 you retained and afterwards gave to Mr Carey, the 3 others you sent, as you told me to Hooker. Is it so? — I have directed Hooker for the remaining sets in the hands of Prof Braun in Germany; I myself have after supplying Prof Cleaveland, Oakes and Durand only one set left, No 30, which I will send you also with the others in my next box.

Hooker says his subscribers complain that no catalogue is sent with the plants. Did you not send one copy of the Plantae Lindh. with for each

set? If you have not done so, I wish you would do it yet as soon as an opportunity offers. He should have 6 copies more, if his 6 subscribers have none of them got them. If the you have them not to spare, I can let you have a few which are still in my hands. —

Dr Wislizenus is preparing himself well for his expedition, and I hope he will be able to make and preserve and send home fine collections. We have also had a Dr {Josiah} Gregg here, who is also going to New Mexico and California, and will do something for natural history. — Dr Gregg is an old western traveller and has written an interesting work: Commerce of the Prairies. He studied medicine last winter in Louisville and has been instructed for botanical collections by Dr Short.

I am not aware that any thing has been published about {Joseph N.} Nicollet, and it is a shame that it has not been. In a long review on Capt. Fremont's reports, which I have published in a scientific journal in Germany I have said all about Nicollet, as whose pupil and follower Fremont must be considered, that I could learn or recollected about him. He very seldom spoke of himself or his history. Perhaps Mr Delaforest, the French Consul General in New York (if he is still there) knows more about him, as N. was his personal friend. Perhaps I can learn something more also here, among the old french