Thomas Butt, Arley, [Worcestershire], to James Edward Smith

Summary

Sends specimen of grass he found in a wood near Newtown Barry, Ireland, believes it to be close to Smith's 'Festuca calamaria'. List of habitats of Irish plants observed by him. Disappointed in attempts to establish a botanical garden of hardy herbaceous plants with Lord Valentia [George Annesley] by the "ignorance or imposition of nurserymen", asks Smith to recommend anyone in Norfolk willing to assist. Asks whether there is a treatise on the genus 'Aster', the descriptions in "Hortus Kewensis" and Marten's "Dictionary" being "very confused". Lord Valentia sends an index to first four volumes of [Carl Ludwig] Willdenow's "Species Plantarum". From the seeds Smith sent has been able to grow 'Helianthus decapetalus', 'Polymnia canadensis', 'Eupatorium kuhnia', 'Carduus carinatus', and 'Allium nutans'.

Letter details

Record number

LINNEAN1693

From

Thomas Butt

To

Sir James Edward Smith

Date

18 Sep 1801

Sent from

Arley, Worcestershire

Source of text

GB-110/JES/COR/2/109, The Linnean Society of London

Language

English

Contributor

The Linnean Society of London[View Ɛpsilon collection]

Also published in The Correspondence of Sir James Edward Smith, The Linnean Society's Archive Catalogue.

• Sir James Edward Smith
• Thomas Butt