José Francisco Corrêa de Serra, London, to James Edward Smith, Norwich, [Norfolk]

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Ref No GB-110/JES/COR/3/98
Title José Francisco Corrêa de Serra, London, to James Edward Smith, Norwich, [Norfolk]
Letter date 4 Jul 1795
Author(s) José Francisco Corrêa de Serra 1750-1823
Number of Pages 4

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GB-110/JES/COR/3/98 from José Francisco Corrêa de Serra, London, to James Edward Smith, Norwich, [Norfolk] (4 July 1795)

Metadata for GB-110/JES/COR/3/98 from José Francisco Corrêa de Serra, London, to James Edward Smith, Norwich, [Norfolk] (4 July 1795) Close

Item data

Item Type: Document
From: Serra, José Francisco Corrêa de
Sent from: London
To: Smith, Sir James Edward
Sent to location: Norwich, Norfolk
Summary:

Comments on Smith's class name 'Kuamos' ["Cyamus" transliterated from Greek alphabet, appropriated in English as "legumen"], its use by ancient botanists and how they distinguished 'Cyamus agyptius', which is '[Cyamus] nelumbo', from 'Cyamus hellenicus', which is "the common bean". Conjectures that the Ancient Greeks used it in a similar way to the English word "bean" and compares this with other languages and cultures including the Ancient Egyptians. Discusses the etymology of the Greek words and approves of the name. Botanical publication news: [Carl Peter] Thunberg's "Monographia of the Hermannia" and [Thomas] Velley and [John] Stackhouse's works on 'Fucus', critiques them for their obscure and vague physiological sections, which has inspired him to write his own memoir on the fecundation of submersed plants. At [James] Lee's with [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert experimented with success on the phenomenon of the irritable flowers of 'Verbascum', asks Smith to do the same at Norwich, gives instructions. Observed the same behaviour in Portugal with 'Verbascum thapsi', 'Verbascum sinuatum' and 'Verbascum blattaria', intends to write a paper on it for the Linnean Society. Bower is about to publish the "Digitales". [Archibald] Menzies has written to Sir Joseph [Banks] from Valparaiso, Chile, and is returning to England in a few months. Wishes to become acquainted with [Casper von] Voght after reading his "benevolent" pamphlet.

Letter date: 4 Jul 1795
Languages: English
Prev Ref No: 3.177
Additional Information:
Note typeNote
Finding AidsDawson, W R, (1934). "Catalogue of the manuscripts in the Library of The Linnean Society - Part I. The Smith papers: The correspondence and miscellaneous papers of Sir James Edward Smith", London: Linnean Society.
Related MaterialFor further discussion of 'Cyamus' see two letters by Frank Sayers JES/COR/3/112-113, and one letter by William Wood JES/COR/3/114. For letter from Voght to Smith accompanying "benevolent" pamphlets, see JES/COR/10/57. Thunberg, C P, (1794). "Dissertatio botanica de Hermannia" Upsaliae: J. Edman. Velley, T, (1795). "Coloured figures of marine plants, found on the southern coast of England [...] To which is prefixed an inquiry into the mode of propagation peculiar to sea plants" Bathoniae: Hazard. Stackhouse, J, (1795-1801). "Nereis Britannica; continens species omnes fucorum in insulis Britannicis crescentium: descriptone latina et Anglica" Bathonia: [privately]. Serra, J C D, 'On the Fructification of the Submersed Algae', "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London", 1796 86, pp.494-505. Voght, C V, (1795). "Account of the Management of the Poor in Hamburg since the year 1788, In a letter to some friends of the Poor in Great Britain." Edinburgh (1795); please note not available from Linnean Society Library, available in British Library.
Publn NoteSmith, P (ed.), (1832). "Memoir and correspondence of... Sir James Edward Smith" London: Longman, vol 2, pp.209-212.