
          Recd [Received] Decr. [December] 27th

Ipswich, Decr. 24, 1841.
Friday

Dear Sir,

I have sent to day by Harndens' Express directed
to you at 30 McDougal St New York, [added: freight paid to N. York] a box contg. [containing] your
bundles of Ericacaceae, a parcel for you for the State herbaria,
a parcel of Plymouth plants, a parcel of misc. N.E. [miscellaneous New England] plants,
two parcels for Mr. Carey & one for Dr. Gray, with a letter
for each of those gentlemen.

I had the pleasure of recg. [receiving] yours
of Sept. 23d. in due course, but various things have prevented me
from finishing the preparation of the parcels until the present time.

I did not cite your Flora for Viburnum
pauciflorum, [added: or Galium Littellii] as it was not then published. My article was
published the 6th of May [added: in the May No. of Hovey's Mag.]. Tuckerman had told me that you wrote
him that it was V. pauciflorum, La Pylaie [added: I did not know whether you adopted it or not]. I have only in nature 
fruit of this species, which exactly resemble [mim.?] fruit of the
common V. oxycoccus. My article was written [added: in two days] at the 12th hour to
fill a space of 8 pages reserved for it, & I had neither time or
room for any remarks. I ought [crossed out: not] to have said that it differed
in no essential respect from V. oxy. The differences are produced
by starvation merely, which by many botanists are not thought suff. [sufficient] to
constitute even a vary. [variety.] The shortened branches, [added: shortened lobes of leaves,] shortened stamens, shortened
and almost absent glands, & the absence of rays, & the small cymes, are
the effects of its [crossed out: illegible] [added: station] at the limits of trees. In this forlorn situation, the
poor plant is obliged to give up all superfluities & ornaments.

Telephus et Peleus, cum pauper et exul uterque,
Projicit ampullas et sesquipedalia verba.

I have always from the first, considered it a vary. [variety] & Dr. Robbins has
always & does still consider it a good species. Cultivation would doubtless
soon settle the question, though perhaps it would be necessary to wait for
seedlings before th plant reverted entirely to the regular type, Galium Littellii.
I am strongly disposed to consider a vary. [variety], if I had compared it with some
roundish leaved specs. [specimens] of the common vary. [variety] [added: of G. [cucassans?]] in my collection. I should have suspected
so, but I had time only to write out my old notes, & I had never doubted
that it was distinct from the other Am. [American] species.

        