Transcript
Plantanus Orientalis
Boissier IV. 1862. "Pedunculi capitula 3-5 ferentes inferiores ♂ superiores ♀ -- Cortex arboris Orientalis rugosus nec squamis [lartis] latis caducis denudatis ut in planta in ambulacris Europae culta et cujus nomen origo mihi incerta. A[r].[mss blotted.]. Geog[r.]. Regnum Neapolitanum Sicillia, regio Himilaica."*7
August 1 1909
THE CAMP,
NEAR SUNNINGDALE.
TELEGRAMS,
WINDLESHAM.
Mr Dear Dyer*1
After our happy stay at the Ferns[?] we had a pleasant drive to Pendock*2, where we took up our quarters at Joe's*2a comfortable and neatly furnished Cottage for 3 nights.
On my return here I sought in vain for evidence of my belief that I had heard of Platanus acerifolia being an Appenine tree. Referring to Arcangeli's*3 Compendium I find P.orientalis given as the Neapolitan plant. Turning to Boissier*4 I was startled on finding him describing P.orientalis as having a rugose not scaly bark! I enclose a copy of what he says of it. Lastly I turned up Gamble*5 who described the bark of the Himalayan tree as scaling.
My impression is that the whole subject wants looking at & the number of ♀catkins being taken into consideration. Some 30 years ago I examined many species of orientalis & acerifolia & satisfied myself that acerifolia was a better species than Quercus pedunculata.
On my return to The Camp I find a parcel of 8 species of Sikkim Balsams, most beautiful specimens, collected by Burkill*6 , who informs me that they will no doubt be all well known species. Fancy my astonishment on finding that all are undescribed, not even varieties of what I have described. Some of these are totally unlike any known to me. In short had I not been told that they were collected in Sikkim I should have been unable to localize them. Most of them are from a low valley in S. E. Sikkim.
With best love to Harriet and Frances.
Ever affectionately y[ou]r[s] | Jos. D. Hooker [signature]
Thanks for the Botanical Blue Book.
Plantanus Orientalis
Boissier IV. 1862. "Pedunculi capitula 3-5 ferentes inferiores ♂ superiores ♀ -- Cortex arboris Orientalis rugosus nec squamis [lartis] latis caducis denudatis ut in planta in ambulacris Europae culta et cujus nomen origo mihi incerta. A[r].[mss blotted.]. Geog[r.]. Regnum Neapolitanum Sicillia, regio Himilaica."*7
1. Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer (1843--1928). British botanist and third Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1885--1905). He succeeded Joseph Hooker in the role after serving as his Assistant Director for ten years. He previously held professorships at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Royal College of Science for Ireland and the Royal Horticultural Society. He married Hooker's eldest daughter Harriet in 1877.
2. The manor of Pendock, Worcester: about the middle of the 19th century the estate passed to the Rev. William Samuel Symonds, the eminent geologist and author died in 1887, and his daughter Hyacinth wife of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker then became lady of the manor.
2a. Joseph Symonds Hooker (1877--1940). Eighth child, fifth son of Joseph Hooker, first child of Joseph's second wife Hyacinth; referred to as Joey and later Joe; served in Boer War and in Indian Regiment; married Constance Bell (born 1881) in 1909; one son. Buried at Pendock, Worcestershire.
3. Giovanni Arcangeli (1840--1921). Italian botanist from Florence. Instructor and professor at University of Pisa, professor of botany at the University of Turin, 1882 appointed director of the Botanical Garden of Pisa. In 1882 Arcangeli published his best-known work, a highly regarded compendium of Italian flora titled Compendio della flora italiana.
4. Pierre Edmond Boissier (1810--1885). Swiss botanist, explorer and mathematician.
5. James Sykes Gamble (1847--1925). English botanist specializing in flora of the Indian sub-continent; Director of the British Imperial Forest school at Dehradun, and Fellow of the Royal Society. The reference is to Gamble, J. S. (1881). A Manual of Indian Timbers: An Account of the Growth, Distribution and Uses of the Trees and Shrubs of India and Ceylon with Description of Their Wood-Structure.
6. Isaac Henry Burkill (1870--1965). English botanist who served as Assistant in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew from 1897--1899. In 1935 he became Director of the Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
7. Boissier, Pierre Edmond (1810--1885) Flora Orientalis: sive, Enumeratio plantarum in Oriente a Graecia et Aegypto ad Indiae fines hucusque observatarum, Volume 4. pp 1161.
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