WCP3941

[1]¹

Broadstone, Wimborne

Oct^r. 23rd. 1907

Dear Mr Hemsley²

In the correspondence of Spruce³ with Daniel Hanbury,⁴ I have found a very interesting account (in 1868) of the great efforts then made by friends of Spruce in Ecuador to obtain ^{for Mr. Hanbury,} specimens of flowers & fruit of the "Quito Cinnamon" of commerce, a native of the great "Forest of Canelos". These efforts were all unsuccessful, the total result being a branch with leaves only which reached Mr. Hanbury & is [2] in his Herbarium at the Pharmaceutical Society. This episode I wish to include in Spruces Travels &c. & to make it complete, I want to know if, since then, any specimens of the plant, sufficient to determine the species, have yet reached Europe & whether you have any at⁵ Kew. Hoping you may be able to give me this information.

Believe me | yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

[3]⁶ I tried to determine the Cinnamon of Canelos some years ago, but without success. There are references to it in Hanbury Science Papers, p. 190; and in Holmes, Catalogue of the Hanbury Herbarium ^{p. 100}, where it is doubtfully named nectandra sp.

J.A.S. 24.X.07

Informed 24.X.07