Innspruch
16 April 183 3 1831
My dear Henry
I gave your letters to Dr Zuccarini <1> & Martius <2> & compliments to Madame – They shewed me the Garden where there is not much to be seen at this time but some interesting alpines, which were coming forward – & a fine indoors collection. I saw Primulas verticillata from Mt Sinai, & some others from Mt Brenner – calycina, minima &c – a Soldanella montana with leaves as large as Asarum E. which by the way is plentiful about Munich. I have made one great discovery about a very common plant as it is thought & shall rob the British Flora of a species which costs me dear but imperious duty commands, as the secret must be out sooner or later. The Botanical world will not live much longer in ignorance that our oxlips are all hybrids or varieties – that we have no true P. <3> elatior in England, which on the contrary I find in Bavaria in the greatest profusion, covering hill & dale & quite different from ours, in character, size & scent. Stem very hairy, calyx very smooth, flowers not the least like an inlarged cowslip, & not much like a primrose – petals expanded starlike not heart shaped or campanulate – scent like a muscari – flowers nodding. Dr M. assures me it is Elatior of Linnæus – There is no primrose in the country & cowslips are not yet out, while this is in full flower even where the wild snowdrops are in bud. There is no variety & the fields are full – in ours you know some plants are difficult to decide which they are & they only occur 2 or 3 together in fields of others. Pray communicate this to Mr Lambert <4> & Don <5> – Dr Martius is going to set apart some roots for me against the autumn. Dr & Mrs M. enquired after all your family & when I told him neither C. <6> nor H. <7> were married he said “ J’admire!” <8>
I came here by Wallersee, a beautiful road, but it was so cold & snowed so hard I saw but little of it. In summer it would be a nice botanizing station – You go over land of 3 or 4000 ft I shd think in coming here – & the descent into the Innthal, by a tremendous precipice they call I think St Martin’s Wand or Wall, is unlike anything I know. My road to Munich – by Luxemburg, Treves, Worms, Heilbron & Donawerth <sic> was interesting – the roads are not every-where finished so I do not recommend it for a year or two but then in summer, it will be a good line across Germany.
I am full of expectation of the beauties of the Brenner for tomorrow – Dr Zuccarini says at Botzen <9> you begin to find Italian vegetation – he shewed me Pushkinia scilloides, Orobus vernus 3 varieties, Fritillaria latifolia, & ruthenica the latter very singular & the other very handsome. He has raised ferns from seed rubbed off dried specimens, I will send you some & beg you to try carefully the same experiment. The pots should be filled with sandy peat, & kept moist – & seed sown on the surface. Is it Euphorbia cyparissias I see every where here or Gerardiana? I think they are the same
Yr aff
W F S
Verona – 21 – Ap. Tho I have had the worst weather I am delighted with the Tyrol. The pass continues more Alpine to the end than any other. The Eisachthal is very near some parts of the Via mala. Botzen is quite Italian – & Dr Z. says there is a hill there on which cactus & terebinthus &c grow – vegetation was much forwarder under those rocks than in the open valley near Trent. The weather was too miserable for Oberbotzen but I was shewn it in the clouds – there had been a heavy snow in the morning. Next day, I made my trip to Riva which is magnificent, it is like Salerno & Amalfi – did you see this cascade of Bonari? I found Cytisus purpureus, M. cotoneaster, A. Abrotanum, a yellow helianthemum with downy leaves, wild Judas tree & flowering ash in great beauty, C. Emerus, a wild plum or cherry not the common, Ajuga laciniata, cowslips, Glob. vulgaris & another very pretty one, I suppose Alyssum, Erodium cicutarium almost as large as romanum, G. molle, & hundreds of interesting looking thing <sic> in a state of progress. The first view of the lake with its bold headlands is seen from a striking turn between two rocks after mounting a desolate pass by a little lake & islands.Scabiosa graminifolia was not in flower. Wild quince very pretty – I recommend it to every body, but a month later there is a steam boat 3 times a week. Pollini’s <10> garden is a poor thing but I find in it Hyacinthus cernuus (our non Scriptus) blue & pink) a vanity of Pancratium Illyricum, a white Allium roseum & a new variety of the Florentine Tulipa pubescens v. glabra & a fine Photinia serrulata in full flower – Is Mentha piperita peculiar to England?
Henry F. Talbot Esqr
31 Sackville Street
London
Notes:
1. Dr Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini (1797–1848), German botanist.
2. Dr Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794–1868), German botanist.
3. Primula
4. Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1761–1842), botanist.
5. David Don (1800–1841), Scottish botanist.
6. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
7. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
8. I’m surprised!
9. Now Bolzen.
10. Ciro Pollini (1782–1833), Botanist from Verona.