Alexander Anderson, Leadenhall Street, [London], to James Edward Smith

Summary

Observations on the two kinds of 'Dianthus' termed by gardeners "pink & carnation"; argues that they are not both 'Caryophyllus', as Smith determines them in "Flora Britannica", and proposes 'Caryophyllus' and 'Hortensis'; provides characters with three small ink sketches of plant details.

Criticises tendency for botanists to determine a plant at first glance without investigating its characteristics or examining whether existing descriptions are correct, so that incorrect specific distinctions are copied from edition to edition, even though they are useless for identification purposes.

[Note at head verso of first folio: "Read Dec. 15 1807"]

Letter details

Record number

LINNEAN3537

From

Alexander Anderson

To

Sir James Edward Smith

Date

14 Nov 1807

Sent from

London

Source of text

GB-110/JES/SP/1, 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.

• Alexander Anderson
• Sir James Edward Smith