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Document number: 3638
Date: 14 Jan 1838
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: MARTIUS Carl Friedrich Philipp von
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 26th January 2013

Dear Sir!

I have to acknowledge from your kindness some letters, which you accompanied with very interesting gifts. The New Zealand Palm is Areca Lapida amply adumbrated in the 6th number of my Palmae. Also the Seeds of Phormium tenax deserved attention. They were put in the [P.T.?] Collection of seeds. Here you find a Catalogue of seeds, which we can offer to you. Pray, give me the list of Your desiderata as soon as possible, because the little german [sic] gardens are very hungry and take away great portions of our Store.

Agave mexicana I do not know, but macroacantha is a very good stout species, distinguished by the great mucro at the end of the leafs, which in some case has two [illegible] of length. You received it yet. Fourcraea longaeva we have a single specimen. The mexican pines are very little known. One species has been published from Baron Collections: Pinus cembroides Zuccarini foliis fasciculatis geminis ternisve acutis glabris, fasciculis valde approximatis, strobilis subglobosis squamis [vass?] concavis coriaceis apicem [vertus?] induratis recurvis rhombeo – vel pentagono-umbonatis, seminibus apteris ovalo-oblongis maximis testa subossea. E montibus altioribus ad [Sultepec?]. Abhandl der K. Bayer. Akad. 1830. Vol. 1. p. 392. The other 4 Species are: P. occidentalis Sw. Teocote patula & lesophylla Schlechtendal. Linnaea V. 1. p. 76. VI. p. 354.

I shall be very thankful, if You would likewise procure to me some specimens of american (and other) Coniferae, because I am very poor in this famly [sic]. Perhaps good old Lambert would bestow something upon me from his richess [sic]. He shall have received in due time the arabian plants collected by Dr Fischer, <1> which I was requested to send to him by Mr. Lloyd. Pray, tell him some words about it!

Crocus Pallasii M.B. we have not in the garden. I beliefe & this genus You could procure the best from Mr Gay, who is great amateur of them.

The Abies from Cephalonia is perhaps the [illegible] [illegible deletion] halepensis which is scarce in Greece, where [maritima?] is common. I never saw it.

The description of your garden on the Sea Coast gives me an idea of the delight you may derive from cultivation there. How unhappy is our situation! Munich is cold, windy and has the worst soil of all. Since 8 days – 8–12 º is lasting!

Pray send me some [illegible] and [Cetum?] condinatum; this things [sic] I know not even by name. Perhaps you may say me likewise, whether the Manilla Flax which comes at present in fabrication (very recommendable by its silky lustre) are the fibres of Musa, as I was told.

Campanula Portenschlagia is a very difficult thing. It grows on the illyrian limestone and does not well here; we lost it twice! I take the liberty of directing to you some letters which you will kindly forward.

It is a time full of business here on account of the seeds-exchange beginning. Therefore you will excuse when I finish.

I am Sir, with the highest regard very faithfully
Dr v Martius.

Munich
14. Jan. 1838.


Notes:

1. Possibly one of the two Fischers William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways met in St Petersburg. [See Doc. No: 02239].

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