Item data
Item Type:
Document
From:
Smith, Sir James Edward
Sent from:
Norwich, Norfolk
To:
Roscoe, William
Sent to location:
Liverpool, Lancashire
Summary:
[James] Sowerby will send Roscoe as many copies of "Exotic botany" as needed but warns him of Sowerby's poor business skills. "Exotic botany" has to become more profitable for Sowerby to take up Roscoe's plan [to tour the country drawing rare plants in private collections]; Sowerby had intended to stop it until publishers Longman and co. agreed to take it on. Transcribes text for Lord [Edward Smith-]Stanley's FLS nomination certificate.
About to send first 2000 plants of herbarium and wishes them to be purchased by or for a public body, specifically Liverpool [Botanic] Garden; confident of a total of 8 to 10,000 species, "a respectable herbarium, especially with Linnaean authority", excluding fungi, and treated to last as long as the paper.
On Roscoe's advice reprinted the first sheet of "Flora Graeca". Criticises habit for naturalists to use people's names "unchanged in the nominative, but declined", though regrets engraving of 'Salvia sibthorpii' in "Flora Graeca". Questions Roscoe on the authorities he used in his 'Scitaminiae' paper, including 'Canna augustifolia'. Discusses 'Amomum exscapum' following receipt of many new 'Amomum' species from [Adam] Afzelius including 'Grana paradisi'. Has learnt much from original Dutch manuscript of "Hortus Malabaricus" that Linnaeus received with the Surinam plants, including on 'Renealmia exaltata' and 'Amomum repens'. Received new species of 'Hedychium' from [Francis] Buchanan and will put one in Roscoe's Liverpool herbarium along with a duplicate of 'Roscoea', discusses rules for assenting its character. Discusses Correa's idea that every order has one or more genera with irregular and regular flowers, which he has seen confirmed with 'Leguminosae', 'Caryophylleae', 'Saxifraga', 'Celsia', 'Verbascum', and 'Iberis'. Thinks Roscoe should print the synoptical table with his paper [on 'Scitamineae'].
Notes that [Richard] Salisbury's "abusive pamphlet" has been quoted against him in Salisbury's "Paradisus Londinensis"; [William Fitt] Drake's opinion of the matter; resolved to remain silent but desirous for it to be known that the quarrel is about "more essential things than Bot[an]y". [Sir Joseph] Banks' sketch of 'Hura siamensium' and Retzius' description is all they have to identify the plant, a 'Globba'. Plans being made for Drake to obtain a government appointment in Buenos Aires, [Argentina]. Parliament dissolved; confident of [Thomas William] Coke and [William] Windham [(1750-1810), politician] for Norfolk.
Letter date:
16 Oct 1806
Languages:
English
Prev Ref No:
17.76
Additional Information:
| Note type | Note |
|---|
| 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. |
| Related Material | For Roscoe's letters of 8 September 1806 and 5 October 1806, to which this is a reply, see JES/COR/17/36 and JES/COR/17/37 respectively.
Smith, J E, (1804-1805). "Exotic botany" London: J. Sowerby.
Sibthorp, J, (1806-1837). "Flora Graeca", London: Taylor.
Roscoe, W. 'A new arrangement of the plants of the Monandrian Class usually called Scitamineae (Imperfect).' Read 1806.
Roscoe, W, 'A New Arrangement of the Plants of the Monandrian Class usually called Scitamineae', "Transactions of the Linnean Society of London", 1807 8(1), pp.330-357.
Rheede Tot Draakestein Van, H A, (1678-1686). "Hortus Indicus Malabaricus ..." Amstelodami: Joannis van Someren et Joannis van Dyck.
Salisbury, R A, and Hooker, W, (1805-1808). "The paradisus Londinensis: or coloured figures of plants cultivated in the vicinity of the metropolis. [The figures] by William Hooker." London: [privately.]. |
| Publn Note | Smith, P (ed.), (1832). "Memoir and correspondence of... Sir James Edward Smith" London: Longman, vol 2, p.332. |
