LECONTEs' UNPUBLISHED WORKS . a 



LECONTES' UNPUBLISHED WORKS ON PLANTS 



As part of E. L. Greene's collection of plants, his library, manuscripts, 

 etc., there was left to the University of Notre Dame a set of unpublished, 

 water-colored original drawings, made by John B. Leconte, evidently in- 

 tended to illustrate his articles written on Violets, Bladderworts, and ;i 

 monograph of Gratiola. These communications were published by the 

 author in the rare volumes I-IV of the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural 

 History of New York. (1824-1837). Leconte probably was unable to bear 

 the expense of reproducing these exquisitely colored plants which were 

 life size, and so they were never published. His notes on Gratiola are in 

 Vol. I. p. 103, on Utricularia in Vol. I, p. 72, and Viola, Vol II, p. 135. 

 The most important work of all his Monograph of the Genus Viola in South- 

 eastern Atlantic States, is also absolutely indispensable to the student of 

 Iodography. Rare as the work in the Annals is, the original plates unpub- 

 lished had not even been ever seen by some of Dr. Greene's most intimate 

 friends. When in fact on one occasion one of them asked him to be allowed 

 to reproduce a single critical species, Dr. Greene considered the request 

 almost audacious. 



Dr. Greene once told us he came into possession of this unique treasure 

 in a second-hand book-shop in Philadelphia. The collection of drawings 

 numbering 42 had previously been in the hands of Isaac C. Martindale who 

 obtained them when Lecontes' effects were auctioned off. Dr. T. Holm, of 

 Washington, informed us that Harvard University has tracings of th.: 

 illustrations, probably made before Dr. Greene purchased the originals. 

 In several places of Dr. Greene's writings we find references to these plates, 

 and no doubt they helped much to give him such accurate knowledge of our 

 eastern violets, and their identity, a subject in which he was rightly recog- 

 nized as one of our most careful and exact authorities. He refers to the draw- 

 ings in Leaflets 1, 2. Because of a reference in Pittonia V, 84, it might be 

 inferred that as early as 1898 he had these; for he states then that he 

 "possesses LeContes' unpublished plates." Another reference is found in 

 Mid. Nat. III. p. 84." seems to point to the supposition that Dr. Greene 

 acquired these drawings subsequent to May 1898. (Vide. Pitt. Ill, 313 

 et. sef.) 



1 " I had quite to my satisfaction identified it (T\ affinis) by LeConte's descrip- 

 tion quite anterior to the time when I saw the unpublished figures referred to; and that only 

 confirmed my eailier determination of it." 



"Now on arrival in Washington of the LeConte botanical art treasure, as my property, 

 I called Mr. Pollard's attention to these longer and more pointed leaves of this plant, as bringing 

 it nearer than any other of our violets to the poor figure of Hills' V. obliqua. I recall that Mr. 

 Pollard more than once came back to study that particular plate and finally to make of me 

 the remarkable request — I do not like to use the less mild term audacious in connection with 

 an old and valued friend — that he be permitted to make a copy of the plate. Doubtless I 

 might have forgotten the whole circumstance of my friend's very special interest in the fine 

 colored plate under which LeConte, now ninety years since had written in pencil: " V. affinis" 

 but for his surprising request." 



2 There is also an article on Ruellia Vol. I. p. 140, but there are no drawings in the manu- 

 script of this genus. 



