78 PETER COLLINSON [1736. 



London, June 6, 1736. 



Friend John : 



By the curious impressions sent per J. Breintnall, I find I 

 have the Snake-root of Peter Sonmans, from Albany ; being the 

 same recommended per Dr. Witt, who sent me a plant two or three 

 years agone. But I don't find, by another impression taken 18th 

 August, 1734, that I have what my friend Breintnall calls thy 

 Snake-root. As it is difficult keeping thy marks regular to the 

 plant thee designs them, so I have some plants in thriving order 

 that I can't tell what they are. To inform me, please to send a 

 specimen of Aristoloehia,* No. 3 ; a specimen of Panax, No. 5 ; 

 Ditto, of Breintnall's Snake-root, | No. 6, and a good specimen 

 of the Minor Hellebore, in flower; Ditto, Cotton-weed, No. 17; 

 Sarsaparilla, I don't see any, No. 20. 



The Woody Vine has not yet shot. It is, by the berries, a 

 Euonymus, or skewer-wood, used by the butchers, [doubtless 

 (Jelastrus scandens, L.] 



The Apocinon, or Swallow-wort, with orange flowers [Asclepias 

 tuberosa, L.], thrives well. One of the Dwarf Laurel grows well. 



The climbing Apocinon [Gronolobus, MxJ] that thee sent the 

 pods filled with silk the seeds are come up. There is a great 

 variety of plants, on the continent, that bear seed-vessels of the 

 same figure and consistence ; these are all Apocinons, and have 

 particular distinctions, from the colour of the flower, shape of the 

 leaf, or particular growth of the plant. One would conceive, from 

 the great provision made (by our all-wise Creator) for the spreading 

 this plant, it was designed for particular uses to mankind ; for every 

 seed has a silken thrum [or coma'] fixed to it, sufficient to keep it 

 floating in the air, and when the pod bursts, then the wind conveys 

 the seed to all quarters. 



If thee'll excuse my bits and scraps of letters, which I write as 

 opportunity offers, thee'll oblige thine, 



P. COLLINSON. 



* Probably Saururus cernuus, L., the leaves of which somewhat resemble those 

 of Aristoloehia Serpentaria, L. 

 f Sanicula Canadensis, L. 



