Title:
Albrecht von Haller to Carl Linnaeus
Type:
Image
Licence:
Contact [email protected]
Repository:
The Linnean Society of London
Collection:
Linnaean Correspondence
Reference number:
LC/6/101
Archival level:
Item
Date:
17 October 1748
Placement:
Volume 6: 194
Extent:
194
Language:
la
Description:
Linnaeus should not preach peace to Albrecht von Haller, because Haller is the one so desirous of preserving it. Haller has dissected and described Anemonospermon Taraxaci foliis incanis. Haller wants Johannes Gesner, President of the Physical Society of Zürich, to be elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. Haller advises Linnaeus not to strike out species and reduce them to varieties as frequently as he does. Furthermore, he should not determine the characters of plants until he has examined them all. Ophioscorodon is not the Allium illustrated in Heinrich Bernhard Ruppe. It differs in having abortive flowers, bulbs ten times larger and no convoluted stem, which are all different in Allium amphicarpum. Haller cannot allow good and genuine plants to perish and be lost under the title of varieties.
Sender:
Haller, Albrecht von
Recipient:
Linnaeus, Carl
Transcription:
Quid me mones ad pacem, Linnaee celeberrime, quo nemo avidius pacem sequitur, quem nosti Tecum eum animum semper demonstrasse et quem paucissimorum hominum injuriae ita in ordinem coegerunt, ut non potuerim contentionem evitare, qui multa tibi neque respondi hactenus vel verbulo a multis, cum possem facillime. Quid a me petis, ut cum favore Tua censeam, qui cum admiratione Tui foecundissimi ingenii censeo omnia et porro censebo. Avidus exspecto Tua, sed vidi nondum. Anemonospermon Taraxaci f[oliis] incanis dissecui et descripsi. Gratum est audivisse fuisse in amicis nostris culpam, quod non sint accensi societati. Si me amas, fac adoptetur Johannes Gesnerus Tui abunde, ut nosti, cupidus, Praeses Societatis physicae Tigurinae. Ego in culpa sum, ut innocentiss[imus] et modestiss[imus] vir se socium Academiae vestrae scripsit. Nollem ipsi esse dedecori meam in discernendis Gesneris incuriam. Fac, quaeso, Linnaee praestantissime, ne me ejus, quod Tibi hic do, consilii poeniteat. Noli occidere species et in varietates reducere, uti adeo frequenter soles. Noli definire de fato plantarum nisi omnibus examinatis. Ophioscorodon non est Allium in Ruppio pictum. Differt floribus abortivis, bulbis multo majoribus, caule convoluto, quae omnia in Allio amphicarpo aliter se habent, cui flores manifesti violacei sunt, bulbi decuplo minores nullo convoluto. Ita neque duo alia Allia eadem sunt, quae conjunxisti. Ita cogis me, ut a Te dissentiam et notem nostrum dissensum, cum non possint utique bonas verasque stirpes absque dolore meo perire et sub varietatum titulo eripi botanicis. Meus prodromus florae Germanicae intra annum, ut spero, absolvitur; non poterit prius. Vale et me, ut soles, ama! D[abam] 17 Oct[obris] 1748. [address] Celeberrimo Linnaeo / Salutem d. / A. Haller.
Previous reference number:
L0973
Condition note:
seal tear
