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/6/88
Archival level:
Item
Date:
16 September 1742
Placement:
Volume 6: 177
Extent:
177
Language:
la
Description:
Albrecht von Haller wishes that Linnaeus had had a contact in Hamburg, who could have taken care of things for him as, for example Johan Fredrik König, the Swedish representative in Hamburg. He would like to have Linnaeus’s two Seda. He has himself a yellow one, which is not acrid and differs from Sedum acre in having more lax foliage. The Symphytum petraeum will be most welcome. He has got one from Caspar Bauhin, but it is very different from Lychnis alpina linifolia, multifolia et multiflora through its white flower and more turgid calyx. Haller has collected plants for his edition of Heinrich Bernhard Ruppe. He had 500 seeds from Switzerland, but hardly ten sprouted. Among them was Caspar Bauhin’s Eruca coerulea in arenosis crescens with four glands. He has gathered a Vicia, a Hesperis, a Hyssopifolia similar to Salicaria, though it has only six stamens. Haller likes European plants similar to his own. He has a Filicastrum septentrionale of Johann Amman, which is problematic. He would like to have Olof Celsius the Elder’s work on the plants of Uppland and Acta literaria et scientiarum Sueciae. Furthermore, he wants everything by Olof Rudbeck the Younger, (except Lapponia illustrata), Elias Tillandz, Johan Franck, etc. Valeriana celtica, Dipsacus laciniatus, Passerina and the Centunculi cannot be sent. Dried plants and mosses are desirable. In return Haller can send the German Coronilla montana, Anemone tertia Matteoli, Lampsana aphyllocaulon, Gramen paniculatum molle. Haller has Isaac Rand’s catalogue, but not Linnaeus’s new edition of Genera plantarum. He thinks highly of Johann Jakob Dillenius’s work on mosses. There are several varieties in the work of Marcus Mappus the Elder. He wants Linnaeus to write a Northern Flora. He is himself planning a German one.
Sender:
Haller, Albrecht von
Recipient:
Linnaeus, Carl
Sent to location:
[Uppsala, Sweden]
Transcription:
Amico integerrimo, D[omino] D[octori] CAR[OLO] LINNAEO, S[alutem] p[lurimam] d[icit] A[lbertus] Haller. Post diuturnum Tuum silentium hae Tuae mihi gratissimae fuerunt. Ante annum ad Te literas et dissertatiunculas dederam. Utinam Hamburgi haberes aliquem, qui Tua curaret v[erbi] g[ratia] Königium, qui Regis Tui negocia curat, mitterem quaecunque potero! Semina difficilia habentur. Mittam tamen. Ecce aliqua ex nuperrimis excursionibus! Gratae sunt observationes Tuae. Mitte, precor, Tua duo Seda! Nobis luteum non acre etiam nascitur ab acri foliis laxioribus diversum. Gratissimum etiam erit Symphytum petraeum. Ego habeo ex C[asparo] B[auhino], sed a Lychnide Alp[ina] linifol[ia], multif[olia] & multifl[ora] valde diversum flore albo, calyce turgidiore, &c. Nuper Jenae multas conquisivi plantas ad edendum Ruppium. Semina exspecto. Habui 500 ex Helvetia, sed vix 10 prodierunt, inter quae fuit Eruca coerulea in arenosis crescens. In horto vidi quatuor habere glandulas. Nuper Hyssopifoliam legi simillimam Salicariae, sed habet six stamina. Legi etiam Viciam, cujus semen, iconem mitto, Hesperin, etc. Stirpium, quas qaeris, aliqua semina facilia sunt lectu, alia difficillima, etsi in Helvetia vulgaria sint. Nemo enim adest, qui opportuna anni aetate legat. Faciam quoad potero, dummodo viam aperias. Ipse etiam solas fere amo Europaeas similes nostrorum. Septentrionales Tu mitte, quae nobis desunt! Quaenam sint ex opere botanico cognosces, quod nuper pro signo intemeratae amicitiae per eum D[ominium] Königium misi. Multa vicia typographica supersunt neque ubique mihi placeo. Sed aetas & repetita itinera multa corrigent. An Tibi notum est filicastrum septentrionale Ammani? Habeo, sed scapos florigeros non satis explicuerat in Thuringia, ubi legi. Celsii Uplandica non habeo neque enim actorum possideo nisi unum volumen. Libros etiam Suecicos valde amarem. Compensarem nostratibus aut nummis v[erbi] g[ratia] Rudbekii omnia, excepta Laponia illustrata, Tillandi, Franken & reliquos, Bromelio demto. Gratae etiam stirpes siccae erunt & musci. Illos facilius suppeditabo quam semina & quas quaeris omnes excepta tantum Valeriana celtica, Dipsaco laciniato, Passerina et Centunculos, quorum omnia specimina chartae adglutinata sunt. Multas etiam alias raras Germanicas abunde possideo ut Coronillam montanam, Anemonem III Matth[eoli], Lampsanam aphyllocaulon, Gr[amen] pan[iculatum] molle, &c. Novorum librorum nihil habeo Botanicum nisi Randii catalogum. Tua genera nondum habeo novae editionis. Dillenii muscorum opus est doctissimum. Mappus varietates habet, sed aliqua tamen bona et nova. Tu quid agis? Da, quaeso, nobis floram septentrionalem; ego Germanicam molior. Anno proximo adibo agrum Halensem et lacus salsos. Anno v[ero] 1744, si vixero, Alpes Rhaeticas non cursorie, sed cum mora. Haec mihi solamina paro futurae valetudinis, quae mihi ex asthmate adversa imminet. Vale & me porro ama, qui Te certe plurimi facio! Dabam d[ie] 16 Sept[embris] 1742. [address] A Monsieur / Monsieur Linnaeus Professeur / Royal / a Upsal / en Suede
Previous reference number:
L0470
Condition note:
seal tear
