Hilgard, Theodor Charles 

 l8*f6, Oc tober 2nd 

 Belleville, Illinois. 



r IiA - oLATIQN 



Belleville, 2nd Ü c tober l&f6. 



Dea_r läbctor, 



Father told me just now that you mentioned to hira that I would do well to 

 collect seeds of American plant s in orddr to take them to Germany. I had already 

 planned to collect seeds of plants which are not mentioned in Beck and have 

 already collected a great deal. Now, I believe it is probable that seeds of 

 plants already known would also be welcome, but I cannot judge of which plants? 



I should, therefore, appreciate it very much if you would make a list of such 

 plants of which you think xkxk there are not many in Europe and especially of 

 newly discovered ones; You would do me a great favor, since it is impossible for 

 me to take along seeds of all plants growing here and many of them might be as 

 common in Europe as they are here. 



Some time ago Eugen visited the swamp near the meeting house in the Settlement 

 and reported that everything was eaten up by cattle. Any way, this year wasnot very 

 good for bofany since on one hand, the cattle ate everything that was green because 

 of the bad pastures caused by the drought and also tlixanarag plants which are 

 young in the summer. For instance,fcixis Lobelia inflata used to grow in great numbers 

 in our area, but this late summer we found hardly a dozen of them and had to get them 

 from Scott f s pasture in the Settlement. Now, after the rain and the warm weather, 

 one can see here again many young plants of L. inflata . 



Recently I found a Gentiana, which was similar to G. Saponaria , except that 

 all parts were more slender. The flowers are longer, thinner, the /\ shaped Segments 

 bent together, but did not meet at the top as in G. sap. The sigraata seemed to be 

 broader and spiral. The free ends of the calyx leaves are elongated and lanceolate 



, there are also some lanceolate bracts at the bottom of the flowers. The 

 leaves are more narrow as in the others. In growth tjiey are very similar. 



I intend to take my collected plants to you shor - tly for inspection, but shall 

 let you know in tinfto find out whether it will be convenient for you. 



Sincerely yours, 

 Th. C. Hilgard 



