From John Robarts   15 October 1825

Bangor

15 October 1825

Rev d. Sir,

I have sent a few plants which I picked out of my small herbarium & am very sorry I could not fill up all your present desiderata – as I have given several plants away to different friends & neglected to keep specimens of others even the most common – however all these deficiencies can be all made up next season indeed, sir, I must confess that I have often spent a day in botanising collected several good & rare plants but in consequence of my professional avocations allowed these to get mouldy & have thrown them away to my great regret – but now I make a point of taking with me a Book or two made of blotting paper & lay the plants out on the spot I collect them, which I have found to answer exceedingly well– as I was rather hurried the day I packed all the plants I might have committed some errors with naming them, but that you will soon discover as I have not paid particular attention to the Grasses, Carex family &c - I put a few of each up in a jumbly way perhaps you can pick something good out of them– I have a small collection of Mosses, Lichens &c, some of which I shall send you when I have another opportunity– I intend next season to steal every opportunity I can in order to make my local herbarium as complete as I can & then I shall be able to complete your desiderata I have several of them by me, but in such a state as would not to be fit to be sent out– & I am afraid you will find many of those which I have sent not in the best order, perhaps you will be kind enough to give me a hint to preserve them better– My collection was sadly neglected about 2 years ago during my absence from home for a few months – several got mouldy and were thrown away– as to my old friend & prescriptor (for I was formerly acquainted with the Rev. J .H. Davies) I think he made many additions to the Botanical list of Plants to be found in the Isle of Anglesey which he was not exactly justified although a most excellent Botanist– I will mention a few instances as I proceed – I query these with ? being natives as they are not to be found now–

Zostera marina - I never found ? Salvia pratensis - inserted upon the authority of no botanist and probably came from a garden Scirpus pauciflorus I can get ---------- glaucus - ditto - Potamogeton fluitans I believe I can get ------------------ lanceolatum - ditto - Ruppia maritima I never found yet although he says not sure ?Lysimachia thyrsiflora he says by Mr Llwyd R. Synopsis ?Campanula rapunculus probably came from Bara (?) hill gardens Viola palustris - have no specimen Chironia littoralis - can procure plenty Ribes alpinum - no specimen Ulmus suberosa no specimens -------- glabra - ditto - Daucus maritimum no specimen Linum angustifol. - I never found Alisma repens - very abundant but no specimen Vaccinium myrtillus - ditto - - ditto - ?Pyrola minor taken upon hearsay I never saw any of them in this country ?Cucubalus baccifer a complete error see Smith in English Flora ?Cerastium humile - I believe of his own creation Euphorbia portlandica plentifully but no specimen ------------- paralia I can get more Pyrus torminalis common - but no specimens ------- aucuparia - ditto - The Rosa I have not examined well Rubus idaeus very common - no specimen Tormentilla reptans - no specimen Cochlearia danica very common Iberis amara & nudicaulis no specimens Sisymbrium monense not to be found at present in Mr D.'s habitats Cheiranthus sinuatus - ditto - - ditto - - ditto - Arabis thaliana no specimens Turritis hirsuta - ditto - Anthyllis vulneraria our red flower I shall procure it & seeds Trifolium subterraneum & suffocatum I never found Santolina maritima not now to be found Artemisia gallica - no specimen Inula helenium common - ditto - Quercus sessiliflora - the most common oak of this country but no specimen!! The Salices I have not examined Atriplex laciniata never found The Aspidia I shall send -

Dr. Smith has omitted to notice in his English Flora the beautiful nectary at the base of each petal in the Anthericum serotinum & also that the whole plant is covered with a kind of white shining particles which is very evident in the fresh state— I shall take the liberty of troubling you with a list of my desiderata when I shall have another opportunity–

I am Rev d. Sir y r most obed y humble s vt | John Robarts

You perceive sir, that I have been idle in not keeping by me specimens of even the most common plants also that 9 or 10 specimens mentioned by Mr Davies are not to be found in the present day – but I expect I shall be able to procure most of the others you mention – I have on Withering’s arrangement - The Flora Britannica & the English Flora [illeg.] perhaps you could recommend me some other good & useful Botanical books- which is the best on the mosses & on the Cryptogamia altogether?

Fw d by the Rev John Warren

Please cite as “HENSLOW-25,” in Ɛpsilon: The Correspondence of John Stevens Henslow accessed on 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/henslow/letters/letters_25