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 Assays and Obser- 
vations, vol. ii. (Edinburgh, 1770). The plant (Hypericum vir- 
ginicum) to which it refers had been sent her by Alexander 
Garden, who found it at New York in 1754; in return, Miss 
Colden 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 
flelleborus, but separated by Salisbury (who has been’ followed 
by subsequent botanists) under the name of Copfis. Miss 
Colden (No. 292) called it /iéraurea, 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 Colden 
went among the country folk and noted their names and rustic 
remedies. Thus of Pedicularis tuberosa (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 Colick. This 
_ Was learn’d from a Canada Indian, and is called in New England 
Canada Root. The Excellency of this Root for the Colick 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 se ‘nature 
Printed’ ones mentioned iu Colden’s letter, of which, however, thete is one example 
at the end of the book. 
