Elliott, Stephen, 1771-1830. Stephen Elliott papers, 1791- approximately 1947. Stephen Elliott botanical manuscript. gra00020. Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Botany Libraries, Harvard University.

Amongst the treasures of the library of the Arnold Arboretum is a Notebook in the handwriting of Stephen Elliott. This is, apparently, a "day-book" in which Stephen Elliott described the plants as he actually saw them, at times in English, at others in Latin. Elliott based his descriptions on living material, not accepting those as set forth in previously published works, nor from preserved herberium specimens.

This must be but a small fraction of the manuscript from which the "Sketch of the Botany of South Carolina and Georgia", was written. There are 280 species described, the dates vary from July 5, 1810 to October 5, 1814. The ink is faded and of different colors, it was written, no doubt, with a quill rather than a steel pen. Scattered throughout the book which is of the blank book variety about 12 3/4 by 7 3/4 inches, are bits leaves, twigs, etc., perhaps gathered by Elliott.

L. Schwarten, Librarian