From J. D. Hooker   30 March 1846

Kew

March 30. 1846.

Dear Darwin

Accompanying are a few wretched scraps for Ehrenberg, which I fear will not prove as productive as the “Hallowed Mud” of the Antarctic.1 What does he want with them?

It was so late today before I could find the bundle of Ascension Isld things that I had not daylight to examine all the Grasses properly. That is of less consequence as only one is truly indigenous, & that correctly named. I have solitary specimens of 2 more grasses undoubtedly introduced, & a 3d the Polypogon tenue,2 is also probably a depauperated state of an introduced plant my only specimen is however glued down & I had but one specimen. The only truly indigenous flowering plants of the Island are

Monocot.

x Aristida Ascensionis

Mariscus umbellatus. [illeg].

x — appendiculatus

? Polypogon tenue

Cyperus Haspan

Dicot.

x Euphorbia origanoides

x Hedyotis Adscensionis3

Of these, 4 I consider peculiar & one (not well examined) doubtfully so. I have about 30 or 40 other flowering plants but all certainly introduced, I can give him any if he wants them. I hope they will arrive in time, my things have got into dreadful confusi⁠⟨⁠on⁠⟩⁠ during my prolonged absences from home.

On Wednesday I commence my new

Incomplete

CD annotations

1.1 Accompanying … them? 1.3] scored pencil
1
This letter was enclosed in the letter to C. G. Ehrenberg, 25 March [1846] (Correspondence vol. 3). CD kept that letter, which can now be dated 25[–31?] March [1846], open in order to enclose this letter, and specimens, from Hooker. Hooker alludes to Flora Antarctica (J. D. Hooker 1844–7), which was being published in parts (see Correspondence vol. 3, letter to J. D. Hooker, [19 May 1846]).
2
Hooker probably intended Polypogon tenuis, a grass whose native range is Ascension, St Helena, and western Namibia to Cape Province, South Africa.
3
Aristida Ascensionis is a misspelling of Aristida adscensionis (sixweeks threeawn). Mariscus umbellatus is a synonym of Cyperus cyperoides (Pacific island flatsedge); M. appendiculatus is a synonym of Cyperus appendiculatus. Cyperus haspan is haspan flatsedge. Euphorbia origanoides is Ascension spurge. Hedyotis adscensionis is a synonym of Oldenlandia adscensionis, a species which is now extinct owing to habitat loss.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-967F,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-967F