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March 25, 1924.

Mrs. W. B. Collom,
Payson, Arizona.

My dear Mrs. Collom:

Your very interesting letter of March 16 and also the box of specimens mentioned therein, reached me this morning. The plants are in very good condition and they have enabled me to prepare a fairly accurate description. I have also sent on a part of the material to the New York Botanical Garden and have asked them that a painting be made of the plant if it is received in good condition.

I have had this plant under observation for more than twenty years and have specimens from a number of collectors who have found it in Northwestern Arizona, but I have never had before such good material for study. It gives me great pleasure to say that I believe the species has not been described, and at Professor Thornber's suggestion I am naming the plant [[underlined]] Dudleya collomae [[/underlined]] There is of course a possibility that the plant may have already been described and I will make further investigation before my description is finally published. 

There is a second species found in Arizona which has much broader leaves and different flowers which I described a short time ago as a species, calling it [[underlined]] Dudleya arizonica [[/underlined]]. It is possible that you may find still other plants of this relationship in the mountains of Western Arizona in which case I should be very glad indeed if you would send me specimens. I am asking the National Museum to send you two franks for this purpose.

Recently I described a new cactus from Western Arizona, this is a little plant about the size of a small orange, it had some of the spines hooked. I wonder if you know of this plant.

Very truly yours, 

Associate Curator
Division of Plants.