
          Ansd [Answered] July 25


 Phila [Philadelphia] July 7th 1837


 Profr [Professor] Torrey, N. [New] York


 Dear Sir,


 I take the liberty of submitting to your examination a Cerarus
 which I collected a week ago in the Jersey. Dr. Prickering suspects
 it might be a new species, as it differs from any of the specimens
 of the herbarium of the Academy of natural sciences and has
 never seen it before. He thinks however that it might be
 the same as that described by Rafinesque under the name
 of sessilifolia, found in a early stage of flowering, in a similar
 locality. I have shown it to R. [Rafinesque] who owns he knows nothing
 about it. I mistook it for the sphaerocarpa of Michaux.


 This cerarus is but a shrub 4 or 5 feet high, with spreading
 branches, much covered over with lichens [added: and very bushy] The foliage is of
 an agreable [agreeable] pale green colour with silvery [puberewer?].
 The green and unripe fruit was already as large as the wild
 cherry, round and slightly opressed at the end; but very scarce.
 It grows on an elevated and sandy bank of the river, 1 mile [1/2?]
 above Bordentown, on Count Survilliers' place.


 Are not no. 2 & 3 the Vaccinium tenellum & privos
 laevigata? no 4 and 5 are remarqueable [remarkable] varieties of the
 Salvia lyrata & Lysimachia quadrifolia. The first grows 
 plentifully on the shady banks of a creek; The other, covers
 a considerable space of dry land with this uniform appearance
 all from the same locality.


 Your respectful servant


 E. [Elias] Durand 


 [continues cross writing]
 Have you determined whether the plant I sent you 3 years ago was a veratrum? 
        