3. Red Lion Square. London. W. C.
July 24. 1857.
Dear Sir,
I have recently returned to England from Madiera and enclose you a list of My Collections –
I have a few Plants of an exceedingly handsome new Campanulaceous Plant Musschia Wollastoni <1> Lowe <2> recently discovered in the Mountains of Madiera – It has a Whorl of elegant leaves from 1 to 3 feet long from the centre of which arises a Panicle of Numerous orange & purple flowers which sometimes attains the height of 3 feet. It will do put in a cool damp shady Green house and is a Native of the damp forest Ravines.
I have also plants of a new Rose-colored Chrysanthemum, hamatomma Lowe – recently discovered on the almost inaccessible Cliffs of the uninhabited Dezertas near Madiera Also Monigia edulis a new Non belliferous genus with elegant fern like foliage and an arborescent stem The price of the Musschia is 30s / – and that of the other two £1Ì 1Ì 0 each – well established Plants in Pots.
All these are described in the No of Hookers Journal of Botany for last October. <3> You May perhaps like to secure examples of these interesting new Plants and I should be glad to Know whether any of my other Collections are such as you would wish to purchase.
I am, dear Sir, Your’s faithfully
Nathl H. Mason F. L. S. <4>
H. F. Talbot Esqre
Notes:
1. The Giant Bellflower, a red-brown flowering plant, member of the campanula family, native to Madeira and named after Thomas Vernon Wollaston (1822-1876), English entomologist.
2. Rev Richard Thomas Lowe (1802-1874), botanist and English chaplain in Madeira 1832-1854.
3. Hooker's Journal of Botany, and Kew Garden Miscellany.
4. Fellow of the Linnean Society.