Lacock Abbey
July 30.
Dear Sir
I am going in a fortnight or Three weeks to Geneva, can I take any parcel for you to Decandolle, <1> or your other correspondents in that quarter? – I have franked your letter to Mrs Corrie, <2> I suppose the Corrića speciosa is named after her. –
I have got several unnamed plants at present in flower in my garden, 2 of them species of Scabiosa, which genus it is almost impossible to make out from descriptions, without seeing authentic specimens –
I have an Euphorbia with orbicular cauline leaves, which I think must be new, the general appearance of the plant like E. Neapolitana.
There is a Scrophularia with large handsome red flowers, & pubescent leaves, sent under the name of Sambucifolia, but that is described as glabrous, with greenish purple flowers, therefore mine must be different.
I raise most of the seeds that are sent me, in pots in my greenhouse, which gives me an opportunity of seeing the plants in their early state, & I find several of them offer peculiarities which appear worthy of notice. I think this part of Botany has been neglected, altho’ the structure of the seeds has been so much enquired into. – Some plants are so different at first from what they will ultimately be that it would be impossible to conjecture what they are, while others have the same appearance from the very first.
Yours very truly
H. F. Talbot
Notes:
1. Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (1778-1841), Swiss botanist.
2. See Doc. No: 02966.