Sends specimen of 'Festuca' which he has cultivated for 3 years, lists marks of distinction from 'F. elatior', proposes name 'F. longifolia' or 'F. altissimo'. Also encloses piece of stem of 'F. elatior'.
Showing 21–31 of 31 items
The Linnean Society of London Collection
The scientific and personal correspondence of James Edward Smith (1759-1828), purchaser of the collections of Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) and founder of the Linnean Society of London in 1788, was presented to the Linnean Society between 1857 and 1872 by his widow Pleasance Smith (1773-1877). Since then, it has been complemented by additional series. The collection was catalogued, conserved, and digitised from 2010 to 2013, thanks to the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Letters can be searched through Ɛpsilon, with links to images and summaries available on the Linnean Society’s Online Collections (http://linnean-online.org/smith_correspondence.html).
Sends specimen of 'Festuca' which he has cultivated for 3 years, lists marks of distinction from 'F. elatior', proposes name 'F. longifolia' or 'F. altissimo'. Also encloses piece of stem of 'F. elatior'.
Numbered observations on enclosed plants: 1. a 'Rosa' which he proposes naming 'R. nivalis'; 2. a 'Rosa' he proposes naming 'R. glauca'. Going to mountains of Bredalbane and Ben Lawers tomorrow in hope of finding rarities.
Had a successful botanical excursion to Ben Lawers, though was sorry to just miss [William] Borrer.
Encloses lichens and mosses. Numbered remarks on enclosed specimens: 1. 'Carex ustulata' of Wahlenberg; 2. 'Erioparum gracile' of "Annals of Botany"; 3. 'Cerastium' proposes name 'nivalis'; remarks on 'Festuca' he sent in last letter; 4. 'Dicranum longifolium'; 5. 'Gymnostomum luteolum'.
Intends to visit mountains of Clova soon. 'Andromeda caeruleo' has been found in Scotland, though not by himself.
He has just received two specimens of 'Andromeda caerulea', one of which he encloses and the other he sends to [James] Brodie; discovered by his friends Messrs James and Brown, nurserymen, who accompanied him on his first Highland excursions on his return from England, where they discovered: 'Juncus castaneus', 'Carex pulla', 'Festuca calamaria', 'Spergula saginoides', 'Bartsia alpina', 'Veronica saxatilis', and 'Convalaria verticillata', between 1786 and 1792, "long before the late [John] Mackay [(1772-1802), nurseryman and gardener] knew anything whatever about plants", they sent specimens to both Mackay and Dickson.
Numbered observations on enclosed plants: 2. 'Carex leptalea' of Wahlenberg; 3. 'Eriophorum scheuchzeri', only specimen he has found of it, requests its return; 4. 'Spartum'; encloses specimen of 'Carex diocia' for comparison with the 'C. leptalea'l; 5. 'Carex'; 6. 'Poa' possibly 'P. pumilis'.
Asks Goodenough to forward this letter to Dr [James Edward] Smith.
Uncertain whether to continue sending specimens to Goodenough until he hears back from regarding previously sent ones.
Numbered remarks on enclosed specimens: 'Saxifraga', marginal note suggests it may be 'S. petraea' of Linnaeus; 2. 'Lamium' possibly true 'L. maculatum' of Linnaeus [Smith annotation: "not wild?"]; 3. 'Poa', may be just 'P. annua' variety; 4. 'Lichen alcicornis' of Lightfoot. Asks Goodenough to forward this letter to Dr [James Edward] Smith.
2 specimens of grasses.
Numbered observations on enclosed specimens: 1. a 'Saxifraga'; 2. a 'Saxifraga' different from all palmated ones currently described; 3. previously unnoticed 'Saxifraga', close to 'S. elongella', proposes name 'S. fragella'; 4. 'Cerastium' like 'C. arvensis'.
Asks Goodenough to forward this letter to Dr [James Edward] Smith.
Discusses specimens of 'Triticum' previously sent to Goodenough, encloses specimen of 'T. alpinum', very rare. Numbered observations on enclosed specimens: 2. nondescript 'Bromus' like 'B. sylvaticus'; 3. 'Aira' like 'A. caespitosa', proposes name 'A. gromerata'; 4. a new 'Statice', proposes name 'S. alba' or 'S. subulata'. Asks Goodenough to forward this letter to Dr [James Edward] Smith.
Numbered observations on enclosed specimens: 1. a 'Cercia' gathered in shade of Clova mountain; 2. a 'Pyrethrum', new species found some years ago; 3. a nondescript 'Epilobium' from River Novan; 4. 'Chaerophyllum aromaticum' sent two years ago, discovered by River [indecipherable]; 5. a 'Mentha' possibly variety of 'M. arvensis, proposes name 'M. alpina'; 6. nondescript 'Hieracium' discovered Clova 1812, proposes name 'H. viridiflorum'; 7. a 'Hieracium', same as specimen 3 sent 23 June 1813.
Numbered observations on enclosed specimens: 1. a 'Conferva'; 2. a 'Splachnum', possibly 'S. fastigiatum'; 3. a 'Byssus' or 'Bryum'; 4. possible variety of 'Bryum turbinatum'; 5. possible 'Bryum annotinum'; 6. 'Dicranum undulatum'; 7. a 'Dicranum' not 'D. longifolium'; 8. a 'Dicranum' either 'D. rigidulum' or 'D. varens'; 9. a 'Dicranum' distinct from 'D. rigidulum' or 'D. varens'; 10. a 'Dicranum'; 11. a 'Hypnum'; 12. a 'Hypnum'; 13. a 'Hypnum'; 14. a 'Lichen'; 15. a 'Lichen'; 16. a 'Lichen'; 17. a 'Lichen'; 18. a 'Lichen'; 19. a 'Lichen'; 20. a 'Lichen'; 21. a 'Lichen'; 22. a 'Hypnum'. Asks after items and specimens sent to [James] Sowerby and [Charles] Lyell. Asks Goodenough to forward this letter to Dr [James Edward] Smith.
Following receipt of letter from their mutual friend [Charles] Lyell concerned to hear that [John] Mackay [(1772-1802), nurseryman and gardener] has been credited in "English botany" as sending the 'Saxifraga pedatifida', which he claims is impossible as it is very rare and only found in the Clova mountains; offers to send plants botanists are not well acquainted with so as to be cultivated in gardens.
Encloses specimens of 3 varities of 'S. pedatifida'; an 'Arenaria' he proposes naming 'A. charlinfolia', observations. Points out that Smith has credited [Robert] Brown with finding 'Sagina maritima' in 1798 on coasts of Ireland and Fifeshire, when he himself found it in 1784 on Ben Nevis.
Asks Goodenough to forward this letter to Dr [James Edward] Smith.
Numbered observations on enclosed specimens: a 'Triticum' first found in 1793 on Ben Lawers, and never encountered again until 1810, proposes name 'T. alpinum', very rare but now established in his garden; 2. leaf of 'Iris xiphium', thinks it indigenous; 3. leaves of an 'Alchemilla' larger than 'A. alpina'; 4. leaves of an 'Anthyllis' different from 'A. vulneraria' and the coastal 'Anthyllis'. Asks Goodenough to forward this letter to Dr [James Edward] Smith.