TALBOT3197

Abb ¹.

3 Jan^y

My dear Henry

You are right in thinking we owe our E. ² dendroides to Lacock – it, Myrsinites, Pithyusa, & Portlandica, sow themselves on the terrace – I am fond of such as are not weeds – Have you ever made out a round leaved Euphorbia you shewed me last time I was at Lacock? I take segetalis, Portlandica, & cæspitosa of Naples to be one & same. If this winter spare us we shall really have some wonderful specimens of southern plants to shew. Explain to me how frost has so little power near the sea, for frost there has been – even yesterday we gathered Gentian flowers fitted with casts of ice which had take the form of their stamina & style exactly – the said flowers now alive in water.

How are your Lophanthas – The frond bearing Acacias seem hardier than the pinnatifids. I wish you could pay us a winter or spring visit – this day has been like a day at Genoa, an old man at church told me it was too fine to hold. The Crocus Imperati which belongs neither to autumn or spring, are quite out, & we have buds on a variety of plants othonnas, Primulas, & innumerable Narcissus – Are there not two Duvanas – I have one. We have both Thermopsis laburnifolia & Ribes speciosum but they are gawky growers – I recommend you Cytisus 3 florus ³ of which I can give you plenty of seed, Genista candicans, spartium junceum, which with Arbutus, Daphne collina, & such evergreens as flower in winter will have a very summery aspect, barring snow –

Pray save seed offsets & all of Hyacinthus spicatus a new hyacinth is indeed a rarity. Have you Tenore’s ⁴ Convolv. Italicus altheoides of Fl. Græca ⁵ I believe – it is seemingly quite hardy – & very pretty. I should like some of your Nepaul plant very much, we count November a spring month here. I hope you save your curious weeds – Andrachne I know well –

Y^r Aff

W F S

I believe you have all my sedums – S. neglectum Tenore seems the true S. saxatile of Fl. Græ. & S. sax. of Vienna one of the many that range between S. sexfid. & Crassula rubens, which I set down as a very doubtful plant. Characteres eruant alii. ⁶ Have you Frax. Ornus – & lentricifolia –

Henry F. Talbot Esq
Lacock
Chippenham
1836 Dorchester January four W. Strangways