Description

Thwaites has just discovered, from his collector bringing in the fruit, that the plant he has called Caesalpinia mimosoides in the ENUMERTIO [PLANTARUM ZEYLANIAE] is Mezonevron enneaphyllum, or a closely allied species. He encloses a pod and part of a leaf. If C. mimosoides occurs on the island it would most likely be towards the north. He has not seen it and none of his people recognise Wight's figure of the fruit. However, he has asked Ferguson to search for it in the neighbourhood of Colombo. Ferguson has sent him a Malva of the section Chrysantha[?], which is wild at Colombo; Thwaites cannot determine it. He shall send a specimen by the next mail along with a Sida, which his draftsman tells him was introduced from Mauritius. Ferguson found the plant growing wild about Colombo and thinks it is S. rhombifolia. He has been very busy and not made much progress with the ENUMERATIO. He has all but finished the Myrtles and would like Bentham's arrangement of the Rhizophoreaes, as he will get to them soon. Thwaites thinks it possible that Hooker will have a call from Mr Bailey, of the Civil Service in Ceylon [Sri Lanka] and the son in law of their Governor. Bailey left the island for England rather suddenly by last mail on account of his wife's health and Thwaites is quite sure he will visit RBG Kew if he can. Bailey is a good friend of his and at his request he has collected some Veddah bows and arrows for the RBG Kew Museum, ascertaining the names of the woods they are made from. These are now at Peradenia [Peradeniya] awaiting an opportunity for dispatch. Bailey had also obtained the Veddah skulls for Dr Ward of Clapham, which Thwaites sent a long time ago in a package to RBG Kew and which Ward has never acknowledged. In a postscript, Thwaites states that they have been at work on the Dioscoreae. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.

Description

Thwaites has just discovered, from his collector bringing in the fruit, that the plant he has called Caesalpinia mimosoides in the ENUMERTIO [PLANTARUM ZEYLANIAE] is Mezonevron enneaphyllum, or a closely allied species. He encloses a pod and part of a leaf. If C. mimosoides occurs on the island it would most likely be towards the north. He has not seen it and none of his people recognise Wight's figure of the fruit. However, he has asked Ferguson to search for it in the neighbourhood of Colombo. Ferguson has sent him a Malva of the section Chrysantha[?], which is wild at Colombo; Thwaites cannot determine it. He shall send a specimen by the next mail along with a Sida, which his draftsman tells him was introduced from Mauritius. Ferguson found the plant growing wild about Colombo and thinks it is S. rhombifolia. He has been very busy and not made much progress with the ENUMERATIO. He has all but finished the Myrtles and would like Bentham's arrangement of the Rhizophoreaes, as he will get to them soon. Thwaites thinks it possible that Hooker will have a call from Mr Bailey, of the Civil Service in Ceylon [Sri Lanka] and the son in law of their Governor. Bailey left the island for England rather suddenly by last mail on account of his wife's health and Thwaites is quite sure he will visit RBG Kew if he can. Bailey is a good friend of his and at his request he has collected some Veddah bows and arrows for the RBG Kew Museum, ascertaining the names of the woods they are made from. These are now at Peradenia [Peradeniya] awaiting an opportunity for dispatch. Bailey had also obtained the Veddah skulls for Dr Ward of Clapham, which Thwaites sent a long time ago in a package to RBG Kew and which Ward has never acknowledged. In a postscript, Thwaites states that they have been at work on the Dioscoreae. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.