198 FOTHERGILL'S BOTANIC GARDEN CHAP. 



Ellis), found in the swamps of Florida, where it forms 

 beautiful thickets. It is allied to the Magnolias, and 

 bears a great star-like flower, the petals wavy and riband- 

 like, deep red in hue, and scented like aniseed. The 

 nodding blossoms are set upon a background of smooth 

 shining foliage. Fothergill made many enquiries for it, 

 and at last in 1773 received living plants from the Bart- 

 rams, which flowered in his garden, being, as he said with 

 pride, the only such blossom in all Europe. He sent 

 some to Linnaeus. 1 



The Arbutus Andrachne, differing from the common 

 strawberry tree by its longer and shining leaves, had been 

 scarcely known in England, until in 1754 Fothergill's 

 friend Dr. A. Russell sent home seeds gathered on the 

 mountains above Aleppo. This beautiful tree flowered 

 for the first time in England in Fothergill's garden in 

 May 1766, and was the subject of a paper by G. D. Ehret, 

 read before the Royal Society next year. It was long 

 the chef-d'oeuvre of the Upton garden, and grew to the 

 height of 12 feet ; after Fothergill's death it was sold for 

 the sum of 53 : us. to a nurseryman that he might 

 cut it into scions for grafting. 2 



There is a curious story of Fothergill's attendance on 

 a sea-captain ill with yellow fever in the London docks, 

 when no one would go near to him. Fothergill, it is said, 

 went on board the vessel and cared for him, partly out 

 of compassion, partly to study a new disease. On the 

 man's recovery the doctor would take no fees, but asked 

 him on his next voyage to bring two barrels of earth 

 from Borneo, taken from as many points as possible. 

 When the vessel reached that land the captain's heart 

 failed him, fearing the ridicule of his crew for so foolish 

 an order ; and the same occurred on the return voyage. 

 But after leaving the Straits of Macassar some miles 



1 The Illicium was introduced into Britain, according to Alton, by J. Ellis 

 in 1766 ; elsewhere it is stated as introduced by I. Walker from Pensacola in 

 1771 (Bot. Mag. 439), and that he gave plants to Fothergill. See Darlington, 

 pp. 290, 348 ; MS. Letter, J. Fothergill to Linnaeus, Apr. 17/4, Linn. Soc. ; 

 also J. Bigelow, op. cit. iii. 76. 



- Phil. Trans. Ivii. 114 ; Foth., Works, i. 405 ; Loudon, op. cit. 



