Plants, seeds and specimens received from Matteo Botteri in Mexico

Title

Plants, seeds and specimens received from Matteo Botteri in Mexico

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/7/2/4/3

Date

6 Nov 1854-29 Jan 1856

Scope & content

Plants, seeds and specimens received from Matteo Botteri in Mexico at the Horticultural Society garden at Chiswick, London

This item is part of the volume of Chiswick Gardens accessions book

Overview of contents:
Pages 161-219: 'Received from Mr Botteri [Matteo Botteri]', 6 Nov 1854-29 Jan 1856

Enclosures:
Enclosure 6, originally enclosed between pages 204-205: 'Mexican seeds'
Enclosure 7, originally enclosed between pages 218-219: 'Copy of letter from M. Botteri. Recd [received] Jan 6, 1856'
Enclosure 8, originally enclosed between pages 218-219: List of seeds received from Botteri, 12-29 Jan 1856

Summary of contents:
Pages 161-219: 'Received from Mr Botteri [Matteo Botteri]', 6 Nov 1854-29 Jan 1856

Includes a species of Epiphyllum ('1 small bit. In bad condition. Growing'), a species of Heliconia ('dead'), a species of Begonia ('in bad condition. Growing. Kept for garden'), a species of Aloe ('1 plant. Black spines. In tolerable good condition. Given away to Mr Wilson Saunders [William Wilson Saunders, entomologist, botanist and insurance broker in London] Aug 29/55 [1855]'), Maxillaria variabilis [Maxillariella variabilis] ('1 large piece in good condition') and Laelia anceps ('this box contained nothing but the Laelia. All dried up and nearly dead. It is doubtful if any of them recover. Very dry in this box') [here the list includes 425 more plants]

Enclosure 6: 'Mexican seeds'. Originally enclosed between pages 204-205

Printed list of seeds received from M. Botteri [Matteo Botteri] in Orizaba [Mexico] by the Horticultural Society ('all to be raised in heat'). Includes a species of Dalea, a species of Erythrina, a species of 'Wigandia?', a species of Prosopis and a species a 'Aegiphila?' [here the list includes 4 more seeds]. Undated (c.1850s)

Enclosure 7: 'Copy of letter from M. Botteri. Recd [received] Jan 6, 1856'. Originally enclosed between pages 218-219

He refers to his previous letters of April and August; he intends to send a box of seeds with the first muleteer going to Vera Cruz [Veracruz, Mexico]; the box contains 40 species of seeds, 'without counting some few ones of less importance'; there is plenty of seeds of an Acacia; some of the seeds are from cultivated plants, including a Zinnia ('very like amplexicaulis'), an Ipomoea, a Compositae [Asteraceae] ('not interesting for its beauty, but for the use made of it in this country, where they call it the tea of China[?], and they use it in the same way, and for the same purpose as tea in Europe'), and other plants are 'spontaneous', including an unnamed plant, which 'has no beauty at all, but it possesses the quality of smelling very sweetly by night' [here the list includes 13 more plants]. 2 page letter (1 sheet)

Enclosure 8: List of seeds received from Botteri, 12 Jan 1856 headed 'Copy of report, Hothouse & hardy dept. Recd [received] from Mr Botteri the following seeds, in the usual way in 4 boxes, numbered 33, 34, 35, 36 (box 32 is wanting)'. List of contents of box 32 added after the first list, 29 Jan 1856. Originally enclosed between pages 218 and 219

Includes a species of Quercus ('a quantity of acorns loose in the box. All dead'), a species of Jussiae ('an aquatic [plant]'), a species of Echeveria ('a screwed-up paper, in good condition'), a species of Ardisia ('a middle-sized paper of berries. ?In good condition') and 'ten very small scraps of papers without numbers or names – condition?' [here the list includes 57 more plants]. 6 pages (2 sheets)

Extent

58 pages

Is part of

RHS archive: plant collector papers

Repository

Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library

Copyright

Royal Horticultural Society

Credit Line

RHS Lindley Collections

Usage terms

Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)