143 



1 



prizing it highly. I sincerely wish it was merited to the one-half of 

 its literal extent. As to undertaking a work on the Botany of N.^ 

 America, it is entirely out of the question, with me, I have, indeed, 

 commenced a Herbarium^ with a view to become acquainted with 

 American Plants ; and, if I live, mean to persevere until I possess 

 specimens of our Plants, as far as possible. Should I be reasonably 

 successful in the undertaking, I shall be happy to aid any gentleman 

 in preparing such a work as you allude to, and which, I think, will 

 ere long be much wanted. I hope some one will be prepared to 

 attempt it, before a great while. I have been trying to persuade Dr. 

 Torrey, for two or three years past, to undertake it; but his other en- 

 gagements seem ^.o prevent him, even from completing his Northern 

 Flora. In the mean time, however, your manual will make a pretty 



good substitute, if you carefully introduce all the known plants into 

 this 5th Edition. 



You ask if I am rich, and at leisure ? I am (whether fortunately, 

 or unfortunately, I know not) neither the oxi^^ nor the other. I have 

 a large family, with but little except a country practice of Physic, to 

 maintain them, and a petty appointment of Clerk of our Court, which 

 I hold temj^orarily. Of course, I have but little leisure to prosecute 

 unproductive studies. I nevertheless take great delight in devoting 

 what time I can seize, to my favorite pursuit of Botany ; and, per- 

 haps, do it with more zeal than I should do, if I was wealthy and dis- 

 engaged. I am but about six years younger than yourself ; and there- 

 fore have got rather past the time of life when I might have traversed 

 the country, free from family clogs, in pursuit of Botanical treasures. 

 Agreeably to your request, I now send you what information I am 

 possessed of, relative to Professsor De CandoUe's genus Darlingtonia, 

 It was first published, I believe, in the '' Annales des Sciences Nat- 

 urelles," in 1824, in a paper entitled *' Notices sur quelques genres et 

 especes nouvelles des Legumineuses ;" and soon afterwards, in his 

 '' Memoires surlafamilledes Legumineuses,"page 427 ; (Memoire r2, 

 sous-ordre Miuiosees^ — where he has these observations, which I give 

 you in his own language. f * * * In addition to the above Dr. 

 Torrey has described D. i?2ter??2edia, in Annals of N. York Lyceum. 



I have seen but one species of this genus; and that I have grow- 

 ing in my garden. I got it by the name of D. brachyloba^ and it agrees 

 exactly with the figure^ in de CandoUe's Memoires, but not with the 

 description. There is some mistake about it, which, for want of pos- 

 sessing a/i the species, or supposed species, I am unable to clear up. 

 The books all describe the Legumes of D. brachyloba, as straightish 

 and lanceolate, {rectiusadis), whereas in De Candolle*s plaie^ and in 

 my specimens^ the Legumes are i\\\\X.^ falcate \ precisely as those of Z>- 

 glandulosa are said to be. I got my specimens from Bartram's old 

 Botanic garden, where the plant has long been known by the origi- 

 nal name of Mimosa illinoensis\ and yet this discrepancy exists. 

 Whether, or not, there is really more than one species, I am unable to 

 'say; and I think there is more information wanted, before that point 

 can be determined, satisfactorily. The Plant which I have growmg 



f We omit at this point a lengthy quotation from De CandoUe. — Eds. 



