Item data
Item Type:
Document
From:
Pitchford, John
Sent from:
Norwich, Norfolk
To:
Smith, Sir James Edward
Summary:
Thanks for '[Mentha] exigua', on comparing it with 'Mentha pulegium' convinced it is idential to Linnaeus' one [Smith has briefly annotated one of Pitchford's observations], believes he will have to give up his description of 'Mentha' on account of not being able to settle how to distinguish them. Believes it impossible to get a new species out of variations of leaf in 'Mentha gentilis' as Edward Forster has claimed to do with ['Mentha exigua'], and that [Thomas] Woodward is also wrong supposing it a rediscovery of [John] Ray's 'Mentha aquatica exigua', believes 'M. exigua' is simply 'M. pulegium'. Condolonces to Smith family on their loss. Asks [James] Sowerby to send Sir William Jerningham [6th Baronet (1736-1809)] "English Botany" from number 24 onwards.
Letter date:
28 Sep 1793
Languages:
English
Prev Ref No:
8.116
Additional Information:
| Note type | Note |
|---|
| Related Material | Smith, J E, and Sowerby, J, (1790-1814). "English Botany" London.
Smith, J E, 'The Botanical History of Mentha exigua', "Transactions of the Linnean Society of London", 1797 3(1), pp.18-22. |
