Description

Engelmann is very sorry that he cannot visit RBG Kew [before returning to the United States of America]. He will leave Havre for New York on the 'Arago' on 27 July. He is sorry he cannot work on the Euphorbieae nor see Hooker's Cuscutae. He has to arrange all his affairs in St Louis before he can devote much time to botany, but will try and do his best, especially by aiding Mr Shaw. He hopes Hooker will do what he can to assist such an institution in the far west. In the last few weeks Engelmann has been looking at the Cuscutae from [Saint] Petersburg, which includes some interesting things from southern Siberia and China. The most valuable plants to him, however, were the Indian plants of Heyne and Roth. It may interest Dr [Joseph] Hooker to know that the pretty Indian plant collected by him on Amaranthus and other weeds, and named C.[Cuscuta] arabica by Wight and C. oxypetala by Boissier, is the real C. hyalina of Heyne and Roth, which had been erroneously referred to C. chinensis. Englemann leaves Europe with great thanks to those who have shown him so much unexpected and unmerited kindness. He hopes Dr Hooker will one day visit them in St Louis. Page 1 of 3.