JFWH no ansr required <1>
Lacock Abbey, Chippenham
July 8/38
My Dear Sir
I received some days ago your very kind present of Cape Bulbs, some of which have been duly committed to mother earth, others are reserved for the spring, & some I shall take with me into Wales to distribute among my friends in that direction, who are great botanists.
I have one of your plants in flower at present, it is very beautiful and much admired – a species of Ornithogalum.
You will find a good figure of the Harveya Capensis in Hooker’s new work Iconia plantarum, <2> fig. 118
It is only a sham Orobanche, for Hooker says “It has the habit of Orobancheć but the structure of the ovary forbids its being united with that family.”
I think that Bartholina pectinata flowered recently with Messrs Rollisson of Tooting and Lindley figured it in the Botanical Register <3> –
Believe me to remain Yours most truly
H. F. Talbot
Notes:
1. Written in Herschel’s hand.
2. Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785–1865), Prof & botanist, Icones plantarum; or, Figures, with brief descriptive characters and remarks of new or rare plants, selected from the author’s herbarium (London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman, 1837–1919).
3. Edwards’ botanical register, published serially (London: James Ridgway).