
          Montrose Pa. Aug 29, 1850.

Jn [John] Torey MD.

Dr [Dear] sir

The subject of my communication 
will be, perhaps, a sufficient apology for troubling
you with it. I have recently met with what 
appears to be a very unusual variety of the
Verbascum thapsus (c [common] mullein). It is one bearing 
a white flower. My, comparatively, limited 
acquaintance with botany induced me to think, when 
I first discovered it, that it could not be very uncommon, 
or, at least, that it must have been found 
& noticed before, altho' it was new to me. Finding
however, no mention of it in any works on the subject 
within my reach (your two volumes of the Nat. Hy. of NY. [Natural history of New York]
of the number) & being assured by an eminent botanist 
that, so far as he was aware, no such variety had ever 
been noticed, I have thought it might be of interest
to you to be made acquainted with the fact. 
It will, at least, be gratifying to me to receive a
line from you on the subject. I enclose the flower.
It has in drying become somewhat discolored. 
In its fresh state it is a pure white. The locality,
so far as I have yet ascertained is quite limited, 
and [added: it grows] intermixed with the common yellowed flowered
variety, in the proportion of perhaps about one fourth
of the plants.
        