[headed notepaper:]
Lacock Abbey, Chippenham
Friday Dec. 7.
My dear Sir
The Dumasia was sent today, directed as you desired- I shall be glad to hear of its safe arrival.
In a day or two I will send you some remarks upon the affinities of my other plant which is like a Vellozia-
I have in my stove a very singular plant (undescribed I think) Nat. Order Iridaciæ, flowers blue, fugacious. Ripens its seed here, but then, instead of the flower stalk or scape perishing as happens in all other plants of this order with which I am acquainted, it remains permanent and puts forth from its end, from among the remains of its flower, a shoot of immense length (5 feet and more) like a strawberry runner, filiform and covered with small scattered scales. If you can recognize the plant from this description of its peculiar characters I shall be glad to have its name. In the mean time I have sowed the seed it produced, which are coming up strong, & I shall then see whether the progeny possess the same peculiarity.
Yours truly
H. Fox Talbot
Professor Olivier; Kew