Item data
Item Type:
Document
From:
Davall, Edmund
Sent from:
Orbe, Switzerland
To:
Smith, Sir James Edward
Summary:
Sending Smith smaller than planned parcel of plants via Mandrot, including series of specimens and gradations of 'Saxifraga hirculus'. Still weak from his "last terrible illness" and a pain in his chest which he is treating with Letters water and milk. Rearranged his herbarium so looking forward to receiving Smith's promised Botany Bay plants. Hopes to build a greenhouse for exotic plants to spite those who keep theirs to themselves. Relates anecdote of a Berne apothecary who came to his garden and passed pots of 'Turritis alpina' and 'Arenaria liniflora' only to be in ecstasy at pot of 'Pelargonium radula', almost ancient in English gardens but entirely unknown in Switzerland, was not impressed with herbarium specimen of 'Arenaria saxatilis' Linnaeus and mocked his one specimen of 'Ixia'; he is a good chemist but a "wretched blunderer in Botany" and though he has much greater herbarium and garden he insisted a plant he [Davall] knew to be 'Saxifraga sarmentosa' was 'Martynia perennis', a dispute in which [Joseph von] Jacquin also became involved.
Has three seedlings of 'Morina persica' and will send every seed to England to "replace this fine (lost?) plant ex HK". Has a place where he successfully winters 'Gerania'. Requests via [John] Fairbairn seeds of 'Pelargonium cordatum', 'Pelargonium betulinum', and 'Lamium loevigatum' at Chelsea. Would like to establish communications with [Adam] Afzelius.
His parcel much more considerable than he intended and includes a box of lichens, lichens listed on sixth folio with some comments. Will soon send mosses for [James] Dickson and seeds for [William] Aiton not in "Hortus Kewensis". Letter signed 12 May 1793.
Letter date:
11 May 1793
Languages:
English
Prev Ref No:
14.144
Additional Information:
Note type | Note |
---|
Additional | Smith replied 2 Jul [1793] |
Related Material | For Smith's reply of 2 July 1793, see JES/COR/14/60. For Smith's observations on plants sent, see his letter 24 September 1793, JES/COR/14/62.
Aiton, W, (1789). "Hortus Kewensis; or, a catalogue of the plants cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew..." London: Printed for George Nicol. |
Finding Aids | Dawson, 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. |