WCP6130

Letter (WCP6130.7087)

[1]1

ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS,

KEW, SURREY.

24th April 1946.

1/Herb./8g.

Dear Sir2,

I acknowledge the receipt of another five letters kindly sent for our collection.

With regard to the letter written by J. de C. Sowerby3, I find that we already possess over 20 letters written by him and preserved at Kew in the volumes of the Hooker4 Correspondence. I therefore return this letter herewith, as I feel that, under the circumstances, we should not deprive you of it especially as you are making a collection of autograph letters of nineteenth century scientists.

Please accept my best thanks for so kindly offering it to Kew and also for the other four letters which we are retaining for your collection.

Yours very truly, | E. J. Salisbury5 [signature]

Director

W. G. Wallace, Esq[uire].,

61, East Avenue,

Bournemouth,

Hants6.

1
The letter is typewritten and signed in ink. The page is numbered WP1/9/55 [1 of 2] in pencil in the top RH corner.
2
Wallace, William Greenell (1871-1951) Electrical engineer, second son and third child of ARW.
3
Sowerby, James De Carle (1787-1871) British mineralogist and illustrator. Together with a cousin, he founded the Royal Botanic Society and gardens in 1839 and was its secretary for 30 years. The society promoted "botany in all its branches, and its applications" and leased grounds within Regent’s Park, London for use as an experimental garden. The society is not related to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
4
Hooker, William Jackson (1785-1865) English systematic botanist and botanical illustrator. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University and was Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1841-1865.
5
Salisbury, Edward James (1886-1978) English botanist and ecologist. He was director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew 1943-1956.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP6130.7087)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2018-08-15]

Enclosure (WCP6130.7088)

[1]

Botanic Gardens

Regent's Park

Septr 28th 1862.

My Dear Sir,

I duly received your favour of Setaria glama, I am so incredulous of its being a native that I have not made a drawing of it, but as you wish to have my analysis of the flower I have added a sketch of it on the other side.

The abortive flowers are very variable in number as the flowers which are situated in those places often occupied by abortive ones are frequently perfected. The glumes of the perfect flowers are nearly equal[.] [T]he Perianth of each of the included florets is composed of two valves. Those of the male [2] floret membranous and overlapped overlapping at the edges by the outer, hard, wrinkled glume of the hermaphroditic floret whose inner scale is hard & polished. The setae are various[;] generally two bunches accompany the perfect flower. In Setaria biridis the glumes are very unequal, one equal in length and enclosing the Perianth. The hermaphrodite floret is similar to that in S. glama but smoother and with smaller anthers, it is embraced by the edges of a membranous perianth similar to the larger, outer perianth of the floret in S. glama. I cannot find a second perianth nor stamens in this membranous perianth therefore the second floret is incomplete.

Yours truly | J.D.C. Sowerby [signature]

[3]

[coloured illustration of S. glama]

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Enclosure (WCP6130.7088)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Congerton, John [2019-12-17]

Please cite as “WCP6130,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP6130