A. de Candolle Rec. Feb. 28 Ans. May 3 1 860 



Genève January 26, 1859 



My Dear Doctor, 



lt has been a long time since I should have thanked you for the package of dried plants and papers that 

 you were so kind to send me by the Paris route. They arrived in good condition and now are an 

 interesting part of my herbarium. You also have acknowledged our move to Genève, were you have left 

 excellent recollections. I hope that your return was not accompanied by any misfortune and that you 

 have again initiated your médical and botanical occupations, with the satisfaction of having had a 

 pleasant voyage. 



The préparation of the two volumes of the Prodromus that should finish the Dicotylédones has occupied 

 me nearly completely. At this time I am finishing the Begoniacie where I have written new things, in 

 spite of the récent review by Klotzsch. It is true that I have been lent magnificent 

 materials: The herbanums of Hooker, Lindley, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Munich, Vienna and others. I will 

 study the brazilian species in addition to the flora of Mr. Martius as I did for the Myristica. 



After the Begoniaciae I will take the Copularia. I do not know how I will get away from your American 

 species. Dr. AJtâ Gray has given me hopes that you will send me many varied types of species from the 

 West. Everything that you would be so kind to address to me will be studied with fruitful thankfullness. 

 My herbarium does not contain many of that family which includes unique trees with large fruits. 



I confided the study of the Artocarpus and the Moracea ( ? ) to a young botanist in Paris, Mr. Bureau, 

 that Mr. Moquiss recommended to me. Mr. Wedell will study the Urticas. Mr. Boissier will study the 

 gender Euphorbia and the rest of the family will be taken care of by the curator of my herbarium, Mr. 

 Mueller, who is an excellent curator. He will first finish certain articles he has written for Mr. Martius 

 and specially for Mr. Bâillon and Klotzsch, having finishe what there is to know about the Euphorbia. 

 You know that Bâillon believes as does Payer, his teacher, that the flower of the Euphorbia is not 

 composite. Nevertheless, I doubt that Brown, ? Roeper and ail the illustrious contemporary Botanists 

 have been mistaken. Bâillon has already published a first volume on the species, with numerous and 

 élégant drawings. He is preparing another volume on the species, but 1 fear he is not consulting 

 sufficiently the many herbariums and books. Mr. Boissier is astonished at the number of synonyms that 

 one has to look for on the subject of the Euphorbia. To destroy many of the double meanings, is the 

 goal of the Prodromus. It has also published some new species however one is more difficult than the 

 other when one studies thèse very carefully. 



Last year Madame de Candolle and I made a trip to Germany, to Weimar, Dresden, Prague and Munich. 



We were enchanted by the country and its people. I spent two most agréable days in the country 



with Mr. Martius, while my wife went with one of my sons to see the Valhalla. Now we are again in the 



city for the winter although there is no snow and it is not very cold. 



Please give Madame Engelmann our best wishes and please take mine, my dear Doctor 



Your devoted 



Alphonse de Candolle 



