George Williams, Oxford, [Oxfordshire], to James Edward Smith

Summary

Has sent Smith the requested specimens of 'Clara' from Bolart's herbarium, which is rapidly decaying. Eager to see [William] Sole's mints ['Mentha'], at present cannot follow his descriptions and would be pleased to see some of his plants reduced "to a more subordinate rank than that of species". Discussion of 'Campanula': considers a variety of 'Campanula rotundifolia' in Oxford Botanic Garden to be 'Campanula rhomboidea' on account of leaves; asks Smith's familiarity with 'Campanula mollis', named by [John] Sibthorp 'C. rupestris'. Received roots of 'Eriocaulon' from northern England, unsure what trivial name to give the species. [James] Sowerby's 'Polygonum bistortum'. Grateful to Smith for gathering the 'Statice' of the Norfolk coast. Requests seeds of 'Melampyrum cristatum' and others, and specimens of new 'Orobanche' except 'Orobanche elatior'.

Letter details

Record number

LINNEAN557

From

George Williams

To

Sir James Edward Smith

Date

11 Jan 1799

Sent from

Oxford, Oxfordshire

Source of text

GB-110/JES/COR/10/89, 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.