
          1834 Jany [January] 10th


 This day I met with that rare and beautiful
 fern the Hydroglossum palmatum for the first time growing,
 [crossed out: though] through your kindness I have long been familiar with
 the specimen. The locality is about 5 miles north
 of the City of Middletown in a pine wood the directions
 to find this locality would be as follows.
 5 miles from the City on the Hartford turnpike and in the
 woods one mile west from the road where it may be
 found in great abundance This very beautiful
 and delicate fern had retained its verdure so that
 I was enabled to procure a very large supply of good specimens!!!
 It grows from 3 to 5 feet in height thriving among the
 shrubs but not with the regularity of a Convolvulus,
 and apparently both ways, at least such is the case with the
 examples before me. It has about 10 pairs of leaves
 extending about 2 1/2 feet, and [added: about] the same length bears
 at its termination the fructification.


 The stipe is exceedingly strong though [crossed out: small] slender, so much
 so as to be broken with some difficulty, and will even wound
 the fingers when you attempt as I did to pull much of it at a time
 I found it best to take a knife and cut it.


 The soil where it abounds is a damp rich black soil
 bordering on a swamp. Sometimes several of the
 vines twist together for support. Its size reminds me
 of the Convovulus arvensis of Europe.


 Root creeping horizontally, slender. March 19 I look up a
 number of the plants & found it had withstood the winter having
 retained all its verdure. I even gathered many excellent specimens!


 Yours Truly J Barratt


 [in margin]
 To Dr Torrey

        