TALBOT2900

Sackville S^t n^o 31.

May 31^st 1834

Dear Sir,

I send you a specimen of Sideritis purpurea. It differs I believe in having light purple flowers from every other species of the genus, except S. rosea, of Desfontaines: and from that it differs in having whorls of 6 flowers –

In S. rosea the flowers grow only 2 together.

It is the “Sideritis Cretica maxima Ocymi Valentini facie”, of Tournefort, as appears by a specimen in Willdenow’s herbarium at Berlin but which specimen bears a ticket with that name in the handwriting of Gundelsheimer, but though known to Tournefort it appears quite unknown to modern botanists – nor is the specimen I mention in W’s herbarium referred there to any species, but left doubtful.

Grows in Cornfields & waste ground, flowers in April. –

Believe me to be
Yours very truly

H. F. Talbot

G. Bentham Esq^re
Horticultural Society