Item data
Item Type:
Document
From:
Pitchford, John
Sent from:
Norwich, Norfolk
To:
Smith, Sir James Edward
Summary:
Discusses English 'Mentha': received 'Mentha villosa' [Hudson] "Fl[ora] Ang[lica]" from [Samuel] Goodenough which confirms that 'Mentha villosa' [Ray] "Syn[opsis methodica]" 233.1 is not the true one and is probably related to 'Mentha viridis', sends specimen to Smith and makes his own observations, asks how Linnaeus has marked it and 'Mentha verticillata' in his copy of Ray's book. Requests specimen of 'Mentha sativa'; asks if Ray's 'Mentha verticillata' is same as Linnaeus'; [John] Lightfoot found only 'Mentha gentilis' around Hackney and Peckham, encloses a Norfolk specimen of it [extant]. Lightfoot believes 'Mentha viridis' is related to 'Mentha sylvestris'. Believes botanists might be wrong to disregard the length of 'Mentha' stamina.
[On separate folio] Further observations on [William] Hudson's descriptions of 'Mentha villosa', 'M. sylvestris and 'M. rotundifolia', 'M. aquatica', 'M. gentilis', 'M. arvensis', and 'M. satvia'.
Specimen of 'Mentha gentilis', label states it is from William Sole.
Letter date:
5 Oct 1790
Languages:
English
Prev Ref No:
8.104
Additional Information:
| Note type | Note |
|---|
| Additional | Smith replied 22 Nov [1790] |
| Related Material | Hudson, W, (1762). "Flora Anglica, exhibens plantas per regnum Angliae sponte crescentes..." Londinum: [privately].
Ray, J, (1690). "Synopsis methodica stirpium Britannicarum, in qua tum notae generum characteristicae traduntur, tum species singulae breviter describuntur ... (Emendanda in catalogo plantarum Angliae)." Londini: prostant apud Sam Smith. |
