TO DR. R. WIGHT. 



heard for six months from my own family. On the one hand, disap- 

 pointed at not having my hard work even noticed, on to other des- 

 pair from the chances of hearing bad news. I intend adopting an 

 entirely new system of tactics, and when I pounce on any thing in- 

 teresting, to keep it until it is in print. 



Pamplin wrote me the other day, saying he had put down one 

 subscribers name to my proposed work. Very flattering is not it not ? 

 How people can work on dry plants I cannot imagine. I am daily 

 convinced of the poverty of the study from such materials, unless a 

 man has seen much of living structure. 



I have got so many interesting things, that I really do not know 

 on what to commence. I believe I told you of the large Aristolochi- 

 ous genus, my Ascorna ; a most conspicuous plant with very large 

 pendulous flowers like balloons, in the bud (in many poitits according 

 to books,) coming near Bragantia, I have since obtained another, 

 a shrubby subscandent plant, with the stem and leaves of a 

 Piper ! a tripartite rotate perianth, one series of stamens, and discoid 

 regularly lobed stigma, fruit siliquose not yet seen ripe. The flowers 

 are at first sight not unlike those of some Anonaceas, with which 

 family, Asarineae have many points in common. (An original idea I 

 think). 



Tiien I came across a tree with solitary flowers, a two valved in- 

 volucre, a valvate 5 partite calyx, indefinite linear spreading petals, 

 gradually passing into barren stamina, indefinite in number, and, 

 wonder of all ! 10 definite stamina forming the innermost series, each 

 anther a peltate body, bearing 4 poUiniferous boxes without lids, all 

 on the same plane, a trilocular ovarium covered with stalked peltate 

 scales, each cell with two ovula. Do you know it? it has in many 

 respects, the structure of Sterculiacese, or Dombeyaceae. 1 think a 

 minute examination of it, will give scope for much speculation. 



Then an Anonaceous genus with flowers from the stem : the like 

 of which I do not remember to have seen before. 



Do you know a Dioscorea, or Smilax, or Vitis, T believe it is the last, 

 with flowers on an irregularly lobed flattened spadiciform body ? 



In palms I have not been idle, having inclusively of the cultivated 

 species, some 15 or 16, among which I hope one Arecoid may prove 

 an undescribed genus : Arecoid, Calamine, and Licualous palms 

 are the most common in the heavy forests. One Areca has beautiful 



