^ilgard, Theodor Charles 

 I8k6, August 2$th 

 Belleville, Hl. 



TRANSLATION 



Belleville, 26th August. 



Dear Doctor, 



Lastfime Eugen wrote you in my stead since I had the fever. Since I don T t know 

 whether the letter arrived I shall repeat shortly the main points. He rode to the high 

 prairie and found 35 species of Asclepias glaberrina which, however, had been nibbled 

 on by cattle. Only 2 had fruit s, since the flowering time was long past. In his letter 

 he asked you what he should do with the fruit s and since that time we have found 

 about 20 more of the same plants in our field which, however, were too young to flower 

 since t$ey are alwyas disturbed by the plowing. These, as well as many from the high 

 prairies we intend to plant in a Clearing surrounded by bushes in the northwest corner 

 of our field. If I had my say, I would plant them in the middle of the garden and take 

 good care of them, but such things are troublesome weeds. Last year, I planted more 

 Helianthus and Asters on my land, but this year they had to be killed since they caused 

 too much humidity and since such weeds are growing everywherej By the way, unintentionally 

 without my knowledge, I had carried a basked of forest soil home which contained a very 

 troublesome weed, Enalenia albida , the seeds of which where probably in there. It grows 

 tremendously and spread througjjiout the garden and is impossible to get rid off and 

 kills other plants by winding around them. 



Two weeks ago, Eugen went on a botanical excursion to the bottoem and brought us 

 many new things. I.) Among others, a Pontederia v/hich I cannot find in Beck. It has 

 blunt heart-shaped leaves, and a long spike of blue flowers which are almost labiate; 

 on the upper lip (so to speak) is a yellow spot. The praefloration is circinnate, i.e. 

 the flowers have been pressed flat from the front, involuted. The lower part of 

 flower is reddish and stiff , a little vesicular and envelopes the three cornpartments 

 of the capsule. I did not see it while the flowers were ripe. Then, he also found 

 something like an Apios « II.) It is a viny leguminoeaae with three pinnate leaves, 

 the flower aXmost as in Apios tuberosa ... III.) Furthermore, he found^ 

 a Gornus (*f) which vines or clings around trees with broad leaves 

 almost like a grape leaf , but much smaller, less heart-shaped and 

 conrpletely snoetfe on both sides. The knots on the branches are swollenr the 

 fruits blue, previously violet, soft, with wide spreading grapes, with two hard endecarps. 

 I doubt that this description will be enough. IV.) Furthermore, a Sagittaria, with a long 

 widespread vine-like stem. Flowers, as far as I remember, in Clusters. Leaves large 

 almost horseshoe-shaped, however with the barbed hook of all Sagittaria leave's, /[ fi 

 or shield-like with a weägeQshaped indentation. The leaves at the stem were barely VI/1! 

 one inch large.- V.) Furthermore, a 1 1/2" monocotyledon with striped root leages, 



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