27 



descriptions ; they are very poor and consist only of leaves.* 

 The descriptions, on the other hand, are excellent — full, careful, 

 and evidently taken from the living specimens. One of these has 

 been published in full (No. 153 of the MS.) in Essays and Obser- 

 vations, vol. ii. (Edinburgh, 1770). The plant [Hypericum vir- 

 giniciini) to which it refers had been sent her by Alexander 

 Garden, who found it at New York in 1754; in return, Miss 

 Golden sent him the description of the same plant, which she had 

 discovered during the previous summer, and, ' using the privilege 

 of a first discoverer, she was pleased to call this new plant 

 Gardenia, in compliment to Dr. Garden.' Another of her 

 descriptions, translated into Latin, was sent by Ellis to Linnaeus 

 in 1758, and is published in the Correspondence of Linnaeus i. 

 94. The plant to which it referred was retained by Linnaeus in 

 Helleborus, but separated by Salisbury (who has been followed 

 by subsequent botanists) under the name of Coptis. Miss 

 Golden (No. 292) called it Fibraurea, a translation of the popular 

 name 'Gold Thread.' Ellis, forwarding the description, says: 

 ' This young lady merits your esteem, and does honour to your 

 System. She has drawn and described 400 plants in your 

 method only : she uses English terms. Her father has a plant 

 called after him Coldenia, suppose you should call this Coldenella, 

 or any other name that might distinguish her among your 

 Genera.' Unfortunately, Linnaeus did not recognize the genus 

 as distinct, so neither of these names was adopted." 



" Little indications in the descriptions show that Miss Golden 

 went among the country folk and noted their names and rustic 

 remedies. Thus of Pedicidaris tiiberosa (No. 41) she says : ' The 

 Pedicularis is called by the country people Betony : They make 

 Thee of the Leaves, and use it for the Fever and Ague.' 

 Asclepias tuberosa is ' an excellent cure for the Golick. This 

 was learn'd from a Ganada Indian, and is called in New England 

 Ganada Root. The Excellency of this Root for the Golick is 

 confirm'd by Dr. Pater of New England, and Dr. Brooks of 



*The figures are merely ink outlines washed in with neutral' ink, not the 'nature 

 printed' ones mentioned in Golden' s letter, of which, however, there is one example 

 at the end of the book. 



