Harvard Botany Libraries

St Louis May 5th 1846

My dear Doctor

About a week ago I wrote to you about Lindheimer's plants, and about a box which I had sent you. I hope may have received it by this time, and may forward the part destined for Sir Wm Hooker as soon as a steamer will leave.

Included I send you a number of fresh flowers of Myosurus, collected a few days ago. Command my services, whenever you think they may be useful.

I am afraid, I shall find it impossible to study our Carices this spring, in the fresh state, as was my intention for I find myself more & more circumscribed in my movements by increasing medical practice, since the departure of my late partner. I hope he will do much for Geography and natural history in general.

I have been able to spare a few hours — examining some of Lindheimer's plants, and am delighted to find fine specimens of a Malpighiaceous plant, probably a Galphimia; a new ? sapindaceous shrub, your Zanthoxylon pterula? with flower buds ; several Giliae, a Budlea, a diandrus Scrophularaceae with multifid calyx — a Piptolepis? a Nyctagina near Okenia, a Celosia etc

You will be delighted to get them, which will be

medicine lately and prepared himself for a scientific Trip. Dr Short has instructed him in collecting plants etc, and I have also done what I could to direct and encourage him. — But I expect more from my friend and (hitherto, for 6 years) partner, Dr Wislizenus; he has also been to the Mountains for his undertaking. It is a pity though that he takes not much interest in botany; he is however prepared to collect much, and I think he will do it. — The Thermometer we have examined and every day compared with Barometer and find them very satisfactory; It will be possible to ascertain altitudes with them, about correctly to within 2 or 300 feet — which I would not say by far of Mr Fremont's observations. —

When you get Lindheimer's box, which he sends directly, and mine, you will do a favor to get Mr Lowell to send me a check for Lindheikmer. —

As soon as I am at leisure, I shall send some interesting fishes to Boston, I am also preparing a parcel for Mr Lowell, which will be sent with yours. Your genera illustrats will be a very agreeable exchange, as well as other works, which you he might have on natural history of N. America, especially botany — and which I have not yet. I have a copy of Michaux. — I have received the money for Lindheimer from Hooker. —

If you work at flora this summer, I will send you every thing I can get from Lindheimer during the summer, which may botany come under the you belong to families you study this season, as soon as obtained; he has promised a box in May or June.

Myosurus shall be forthcoming soon. In haste Yours truly George Engelmann

He has send a number of Cactus, different from those of last year, a simple, not caespitous Mammillaria, which I provisionally call {Mammillaria} applanata, another one which musst be on account of its spines be called {Mammillaria} intertexta; both are from the interior country on the head waters of the Piedernales {Pedernales} River. A third Both I have sent to you last week together with a number of seeds from Texas & from here. In the box is a smaller one, which I beg you to send to Hooker, and make him pay part of the expenses. I have sent to you only a few Cactus, as {Lindheimer} wrote to me that he was preparing a box for you, to go direct, and I suppose that will include many of the same species. He will send you besides two box species of Cactus from San Antonio, of which I have only got the seeds from him, as he had then no live specimens. One may be called from his description and drawing Echinocactus columnaris — if it is not rather a small Cereus; and the other Mammillaria digitata, with very long tuberules — but the seed of this, which I have seen does not appear to differ from my {Mammillaria} similis whether the plant does, I am unable to say.

{Lindheimer} wanted to send you a number of shrubs, but will try but few, as the season was too far advanced, when he got my letter informing him of your wishes and Mr Lowells offer. He will do better next year,

He wishes us to describe and publish all the new Cacteae, as the same have been sent this spring to Berlin from another Collector

and they may be published there. — What do you say about it? — I think I have the above named two new species, and a third, very different, with green fruit, Mammillaria multiceps, and you have one or two new species. — How do they compare with Mexican species? —

Of Lindheimer's plants of 1845 I shall send you in a couple of weeks your specimens, and to save labor and time, I shall request you to look them through, and tell me which of them are known to you, — so that I need not trouble myself with laborious examinations of known plants. Drummond appears to have been through that region and to have collected a number of those plants already. You will be pleased with your Rhamnus! texensis in flower & fruit, Eysenhardtia the same, a Sophora? with scarlet beans and blue odorous flowers, an Berberis? and many many others.

At present I was much occupied with distributing the Cactus and Seeds, with the preliminary arrangement of the Texas plants and especially with the preparations for Dr Wislizenus; so that I had to lay aside all other work, as I was also very busy in my medical practice. But now I shall complete the distribution of all my duplicates, which I hope will be done in two weeks, when I shall send a large box to Mr Carey, for himself, for you, Mr Cleavland etc etc. —

Have I told you, that a few weeks ago a Dr Gregg was here, on his way to Santa Fe and California. He is the author of the work: Commerce of the Prairies is an old Santa Fe trader, has studied a little

St Louis April 27th 1846

My dear Doctor

Your letter of April 8th arrived in due time. About the same time I have received the Cuscuta from Hooker in excellent condition, but not as many as I expected, and with terrible labels — which in many cases I can not read at all. On the same day a parcel from Europe came to hand with Siberian plants and among other books, Kunth's work — and further the long expected boxes from Lindheimer! Seeds few, Cactus a fine lot — but dry plants too few to distributed them — I was quite mad! He has sent about 250 Numbers, only 27 species with 30, specimens 15 with twenty etc. on the whole there are only 74 with more than ten specimens! Impossible to do any thing with them this season.

But the plants are fine, many things unknown to me at least — many fine Labiatae, some arboresceent Leguminosae (Sophora ?) some fine new Cassias. Your Eysenhardtia {drummondii} (why this eternal name?) with fine flower and fruit — a new spicata Acalypha etc —

We have to wait till the collection of this season comes in; I hope not to be disappointed again, when I say that he will so better this season; he is better prepared, has an assistant, a good house etc, when part of last year he was camping out, travelling etc — I will do what I can to spur him up.

Catalogue of Cacteae & seeds in box sent in April 1846 to Dr Gray, Cambridge. —

settlers, with whom Mr {Nicollect} was in much intercourse.

— Scirpus lacustris americanus has a great resemblance with the German Sc. tabernaemontani (2 stigmati, smaller fruits) but Sc. tab. is a much smaller plant; in habit our Sc. tab. lacustris is similar to the European plant. —

I find among Lindheimer's plants a Ceratoschoenus different from both known species; near megacephalus I have only one specimen, and shall send you a fragment. Nothing from Lindheimer yet. — Very truly yours George Engelmann

[postmark] St. LOUIS MAR 21 Mo.

Prof A Gray Cambridge Mass

2) Sagina decumbens T & Gr. is according to Lindheimers specimens from Galveston not the same as our Sp. saginoides (Sagina linnaei Hank or {Sagina} saxatilis Wimmer) but distinct by its erect much shorter pedicells and the whole appearance. [I had formerly remarked the same thing to you] Lindheimer 78 Riccia fluitans 76 Selaginella rupestris 524 Anemia striata nov. spec. frondibus pinnatis, 4-5 jugis primis ovatis, acuminatis, basi oblique subcordatis, crenulatoserrulatis, venis osebris parallelis (non reticulatis), stipite laevi, pimis fructiferis (scapis) ad basin frondis ortis. Anemia phyllitidis Sw et varr ({Anemia} fraxinifolia Raddi cordifolia Presl, haenkei Presl) different venis reticulatis. 75 Allosorus ternifolius Kunze (Pteris ternifolia Cav) Allosorus subverticillatus Presl is the same plant. 74. Notochlaena {Nothochlaena} sinuata Kaulf var argysolepis, nihi Karwinski has collected the same form in Mexico. 442 Cheilanthes tomentosa Link 141 same locality as last, but a distinct species, belonging to the different group of {Cheilanthes} lentigera; perhaps = {Cheilanthes} lanuginosa Martens & {Galeotti} 461 Chara translucens Pers. [Not found in America yet, but discovered also near St Louis last fall by Fendler.] Chara tenuissima Desv. and Nostoc coeruleum Lyngb. (known only from the North of Europe) have been collected by Post Master Dennis Cooley, Washington Michigan.

More determinations of Charae I send, when I send manuscript of Plant. Lindh.

Does Lowell consider himself paid by Fendler for his advances of $150 by his set No. 1 and by sets 43-48 all together $125.40; or does he claim the balance of $24.60; if so you must select some more sets for him, to make up the balance — I hope there will be no difficulty to this.

You say you get 150 copies of Plant Fendl. All the subscribers ought to get a copy; they ought to be sent to them as promised; that will take off already some 50 copies, which you may sent by mail, letting me know to whom which you have sent; further Fendler ought to get a few copies; and I want a few to distribute in Germany — also to Lapham, Curtis, Chapman etc — but yout will sent copies to them directly. Let me know to whom you send, so that we dont send more than one to the same person.

I hope to get the balance of Fendlers compositae from you. —

I believe that is all I have to say at present —More as soon as I have more to say! I expect a small set collect. of Lindheimer of 1848. He has not done much in that season.

Very truly yours G Engelmann

St Louis March 8th 1849

My dear Doctor

Your letter of Febr 1 and 16th (postmarked Baltimore, Febr 21st) was received two days ago. I have written to you on the 4th and write again to say a few words only.

I will send Fendlers own set at once (in a day or two) by express to your care. These expenses I suppose Fendler will have to bear if he gets $100 for it, he can do it — or another proposition — Open the packages and take out those plants, you have not in your set, and which you may want, and pay for in consideration of that the express expenses. — Write to Philadelphia, to the Academy, to take the set if they want it, if not, send it to Lehmann or dispose of it as you think best. The best opportunity to send is no doubt by the Bremen Mail Steamers; direct to the agent in Bremen, and he will forward at once to Hamburg. — However, we may have a blockade again of the German ports, etc etc; though last year the US. mail steamers were not prevented from entering the Weser. —

I include in this box a parcel from Gordon for Hooker. If I can get it in as it is, well; if not, I have to open and repack it. — It is I believe a complete set of Gordons plants, and it may interest you to look over it, perhaps. I have not sent all that would be valuable to you. —