355 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Ma s. 
.February 17th, 1920. 
My dear Dr. Schleehter: 
I have just received another 
large package of reprints from you. Please accept my 
sincere thanks for your kindness. I intend to examine 
your conclusions in detail before long, but just now 
I am very busy with university work and my time is for 
the present pretty well taken up by routine duties. 
I have looked over your paper on the Spiranthinae 
with interest. Your treatment of Spiranthes parviflora 
does not meet with my approval. I believe that this 
species is referable to S. ovalis Lindl. and is more 
common in the State of Misouri than we have had reason 
to believe heretofore. I made a very careful study of 
S. ovalis at Kew and I concluded without a shadow of 
doubt that it was the same thing as 3p.parviflora. It 
would seem that ray paper on this species has not been 
sent to you. 
’ e have had very severe storms here that have shut 
me off from communication with my laboratory at fiobth 
Easton, consequently I have been unable to assemble for 
you the reprints that have accumulated since I last sent 
you a collection of ray publications. Vol. 5 of Qrchidacese 
I intend to order direct from the publisher so that there 
should be no delay in getting this to yon within a few 
weeks. Vol. 6 is struggling through a disorganised press. 
I will forward it to you at the first opportunity to do 
so. I think you will oe very much pleased v/ith it as a 
specimen of bookmaking even if it should not come up to 
your expectations as a scientific work. 
I am not sure that we can keep Spiranthes odorata 
distinct from S. cernua. I have made a note of your 
remarks regarding the roatellum and the conformation of 
the lip, but I am afraid an examination of numerous 
specimens would fail to uphold your conclusions, I am 
afraid that we have simply been attempting to sustain 
an error of judgement made in the past, I’his is not an 
infrequent thing in systematic work among plants. 
r ith the beet of good wishes. 
P.S. Many thanks for your esteem inn&ai&gd by new species 
named in my honor. 
O.A. 
