
          Augusta, Hancock Co. Illinois, Ap. 17th 1847

My dear Sir,

I have just recd. a line from Mr. Holton 
making some enquiry about an Asclepias. Sometime ago 
I sent several specimens to you which were left at Wm. A. 
Mead's, N.Y., which Mr. Holton said he found there soon 
after he arrived in N.Y. That is the parcel containing besides 
the Asclepias, several other plants, about several of which 
I made some enquiries but never heard anything about 
them, because as I supposed you had not then received 
them.

I wrote a description when I first found the Asclepias ___? 
which I here transcribe. Asclepias ___ sp. [species]? 1-1½ ft. high, fl.g-y[a?] [flowering?] 
June 13-July. Stem erect, smooth, simple; leaves ovate upper ones subcordate, 
acute, closely sessile, smooth, glaucous underneath, 
erectish, veins strongly marked, edge of leaves scarious & scabrous, mucronate; 
umbel terminal, nutant, 6-8-10 flowered; peduncle long, thick & 
sub-pubescent; pedicels pubescent; petals ovate, twice the length of 
the linear calyx; nectary 2 toothed at base, horn short, incurved, compressed 
included, margin of nectary at top revolute; flowers large & sweet scented, 
greenish yellow, follicles never have seen, grows in prairies, 
scarce.

I think I sent Dr. Gray a specimen then called A. [Asclepias] cordata ? [Asclepias cordata] which 
I have never seen, as well as some other things. A new Veratrum, 
which he mistook for [V.?] parviflorum, [Veratrum parviflorum] which Dr. Chapman called 
V. floccosum [Veratrum floccosum] & some other rare things.

Can you tell me of any botanist with whom I could exchange 
plants for those peculiar to S. Carolina? Who is there in Georgia, 
Alabama, eastern Florida, or Tennessee? I would like to obtain 
some plants peculiar to these different places. 
For any very rare plants [added: native or foreign] I will make a suitable return 
in plants of this region. Is any botanist in Michigan?

Yours respectfully
S.B. Mead
        