
          New Haven July 20th 1819


 Dr John Torrey,


 Sir,


 Though unknown to you
 I presume somewhat upon your love of science
 as to enclose a specimen of a plant for your examination.
 It is a potentilla and I found it last year in Massachusetts
 and could not make it agree with any description
 I had though it came near pennyslvanica. But I suppose
 I should be able to identify it when I would have access to a
 better library. I have however found the plant at N. Haven
 this year and examined it with the assistance of the books
 and judgement of Prof. Ives, but cannot make it agree
 with any species in Pursh, Michaux, Willdenow, Miller, Persoon
 Aiton or [Rees?]. It comes nearer P. pennsylvanica - but there
 are enough uniform differences to constitute another species. I
 have not however seen a specimen of pennsylvanica  - or
 the plate of it in Gmelin's Lib. 5. 3. & 34. Presuming you
 have access to both these, the specimen & the plate, and that
 with a glance of your eye you will able to decide the
 question. Prof. Ives (who is of opinion that the enclosed is a new
 species) recommended to me to send you the plant. And though
 [torn page or dissolved ink, 1st word perhaps missing] [little?] suspect it will prove a new species, yet if it be not
 too much trouble you will much oblige me of giving your
 opinion._ The following is a description of the plant so as I
 drew it up from 8 or 10 specimens. It may not be [minutely?]
 accurate


 Stem erect; whole plant pubescent. [Root?] leaves pinnate;
 leaflets ovate, bluntish, serrulate, villose, soft, oblique, marked
 with lines, sessile, except the odd terminal one, which is short
 petioled, sub-opposite, in nines, rarely in elevens, outer ones larger,
 the two extreme pairs having minute leaflets at their base:
 Cauline leaves pinnate, in fives, sevens & nines, the uppermost
 ternate. [Root?] leaves numerous, cauline ones few. Stipules
 lance ovate, deeply cleft. Flowers in a terminal panicled raceme,
 sub-sessile, large, uniformly white: petals oval, equalling
 the dimensions of the calyx: larger alternate divisions of the calyses
  
        