Item data
Item Type:
Document
From:
Roscoe, William
Sent from:
Liverpool, Lancashire
To:
Smith, Sir James Edward
Summary:
Sending letter via Benson Rathbone. Forthcoming publications: publishing a 48 volume collection of the Italian poets with Mr Valpy, the London printer, discusses his ideas for the series; writing a life of [Alexander] Pope [(1688-1744), poet] and publishing a new edition of Pope's works with an association of London booksellers, a considerable labour considering the continuing debate as to his moral and poetical characters; adding an additional volume to his "Life of Lorenzo"; and his "Holkham Catalogue" [of manuscripts in library of Thomas William Coke].
'Hedychium excelsum' has flowered and a new species of 'Roscoea' sent as a species of 'Orchis' about to flower [at Liverpool Botanic Garden]; proposes name 'speciosa' or 'lucida', further remarks on the plant. Has made additions to genus 'Canna' and drawn up synoptical table of 20 species, and similar for 'Hedychium' and 'Curcuma' [for his "Monandrian plants of the order Scitamineae.."]. Thanks Smith for "Correspondence of Linnaeus & other Naturalists". Smith's anecdote about identity of the peach and nectarine reminds him of a similar confusion at Liverpool Botanic Garden where an unknown plant was distributed as 'Hedychium flavum' until it dramatically increased in size the following year and turned out to be 'H. coronarium'; [Roscoe has made a sketch of the flower, in ink].
Apologises to Lord Mountnorris [George Annesley] for detaining his 'Scitamineae' figures for so long; has made copies.
Letter date:
14 Jul 1821
Languages:
English
Prev Ref No:
17.258
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 | Roscoe, W, (1828). "Monandrian plants of the order Scitamineae, chiefly drawn from living specimens in the Botanic Garden At Liverpool ... With descriptions and observations." Liverpool: [printer:] G. Smith.
Smith, J E (ed.), (1821). "A selection of the correspondence of Linnaeus and other naturalists, from the original manuscripts." London: Longman &c. |
| Publn Note | Smith, P (ed.), (1832). "Memoir and correspondence of... Sir James Edward Smith" London: Longman, vol 2, pp.364-367. |
