
          Recd [Received] &
Ansd [Answered] Sept 28th

Columbus Sept 23rd 1839

Dr. John Torrey

My dear sir,

Yours of the
13th inst [instant] has come to hand. I am glad you have 
received the parcel of plants & that some of them
are rare, though I really thought 3 or 4 of them
would be entirely new. You say that No. 40 
is Habenaria psycodes. I had this plant up in my
herbarium [added: under that name] though not well satisfied with the description
of it in the books, until this season, when I found
an other plant which is very different from that &
I think is certainly H. psycodes of Darlington 2 ed. [2nd edition] p. 509.
Darlington says of his H. psycodes that "it is not a showy species"
not so with No. 40. It is a beautiful & showy plant and
quite fragrant. The specimens I sent you were not
quite so large as they generally are. The plant was
scarce here this season & owing to the drought not so
fine as usual. I wish you would look at it again
& if it is the H. psycodes, then Darlington is in error
& my other plant must be provided with some other
name. As you supposed, I had never seen Dr.
Gray's monog [monograph] of N.A. Melanth. [Melanthacearum Americae Septentrionalis revisio] & I thank you
for sending it to me. It is an able performance
& was much needed. I send No. 42 Zigadenus glaucus
        