
          to have the visit as much prolonged as may suit
the convenience of yourself and Dr. G. [Gray]

I directed my agents at Magnolia to forward for 
you, to the care of Mr. Donaldson, a section of [added: the trunk of] our 
Palmetto Tree, and to send with it, if convenient, specimens
of the Chamaerops serrulata, and C. histrix [Chamaerops hystrix]. 
They informed me more than a month since that 
they had [crossed out: obeyed] [added: executed] the order, and I hope, therefore, that
you are already in the receipt of them.

Since I wrote you last I have obtained from Dr. Chapman
a flowering specimen of my Taxoid tree (He received
them from Dr. Alexander who procured them last Spring
at my instance) I am now satisfied that it is dioecious
and it seems to differ from Taxus chiefly or only
in having its nut entirely enveloped in the fleshy covering. 
I thus describe the fructification as far as I 
have advanced in its investigation, "Calix consisting of
4 to 6 oppositely imbricated scales, Male flowers arranged 
in a double series, (or distichally, like the
leaves, and in their axils? or on their undersides? for I have 
not the specimen by me) anthers 5 (or 6?) lobed. 
Female, calix like the male, except that the scales appear
to be obtuse, while those of the male are pointed and rigidly
mucronate. Fruit, an ovate, one-celled nut, pointed
at the apex, and entirely enveloped in a fleshy covering."
The larger of the two kinds of fruit which I gave you last
        