List of plants sent by George Don from St Thomas [Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe] to England
The document was previously sealed [seal not present]. This item was previously enclosed in RHS/Col/2/1/3; it was removed during cataloguing and placed with RHS/Col/2/3/1-14
Annotated at the top of the page: 'Sabine received December 6th 1822'. The sheet was folded, sealed and addressed to Joseph Sabine at the Horticultural Society in London. A note states that the boxes were left to be sent by Mr Fernandez's [John Fernandez, vice consul and merchant at St Thomas] ship, including a mat containing a branch of Pandanus candelabrum and a bundle of fruit of a species of Corypha or Raphia
Box 1 contained valapley [valaple, Turraea vogelii] ('a very common tree in the forests, I understand the fruit is very good'), 'an orchideous plant having the habit of Serapias'), 'Amomum with scarlet flowers', 'Sterculia acuminata [Cola acuminata], the cola' and noontwey ('this tree grows in the forests, it has the appearance of Chrysophyllum, the fruit is eaten by the natives, it yields milk like a euphorbia, and belongs to the order Pentandria monogynia') [here the list includes 11 more plants]
Box 2 contained 'bulbs and a few seeds', including fruit of Pandanus candelabrum, 'two large bulbs which I suppose distinct from the small ones, I have not seen the flower', 'smaller bulbs which I suppose to be Amaryllis gigantea, the flower of this is cream coloured', aloe and fruit of 'a common cucurbitaceous plant'
Box 3 contained specimens and seeds from St Thomas [Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe], 'except those that are marked from other places'
For another version of the list in George Don's journal, 11 Jun 1822, see RHS/Col/2/1/5]