Clas Alströmer thanks Linnaeus for his letter of 24 June 1760{L2738}; encloses some seeds of the flower from Lima; mentions one of its stalks with two whole seed vessels is in his collection; and hopes shortly to send them and a listing to Linnaeus, as well as a box containing Cynomarium, a packet of seeds and another of plants. He regrets both Daniel Solander’s accident, fearing it will hinder his journey, and the possibility that Jacob Martin Bellman will suffer in pocket for his helpfulness although, knowing as he did that the queen [Lovisa Ulrika] loved science, he should not have let Pehr Löfling improperly use her name. Bellman could more easily be repaid were the writer able to recover such of Löfling’s effects as are said to be in Matrid where José Ortega seems enviously to be retaining both his writings and collections. Alströmer expresses the thought that the Spaniards see Löfling’s death as a happy event, in that a heretic died a Christian death among Catholic priests. Fredrik Logie is still in Gibraltar. Alströmer has seen virtually no insects, either morning or evening, at San Lucar de Barameda, while the heat of the day prevents him from going out lest he, as many others have, suffer from or succumb to a tavardillo, a fever with severe headache.
As correspondent in Cadiz, José Carbonell should be encouraged by being sent as mentioned earlier the works by Linnaeus. Alströmer sees this part of Spain as scorched and shadowless, with few plants or insects, but he has hopes of what is called the garden of Spain, viz. Granada and Valencia. The flowers and foliage of Capparis Spinosa beautify the earthen banks and Pancratium maritimum scents and embellishes the beaches. Cynanchum acutum flourishes in the driest sand. The writer was unfortunate with the Arbor draconis, for it had flowered by April and he obtained only ripe fruit. Carbonell has promised to send dried flowers to Linnaeus next year. The tree in the Franciscans’ garden is large; its seeds are used for rosaries. The species reached Cadiz from the Canary Islands. Once planted, they take two months to germinate. Some thin pendant leafless branches resemble stolons. Sticks of Lignum rubrum are used as toothbrushes. Perhaps not of the genus Calamus?
Erythrina corallodendron had ripe seeds from Port Marcé. When boiled, half-ripe fruit of Solanum melongena are eaten. The Moors are said, having used this plant as poison, to have left it behind them so that the Spaniards would then accidently poison themselves. The writer has not time enough to send his description of Schinus areira that he considers should be assigned to Dioecia decandria or Polygamia dioecia, for its female flowers have stamens but no pollen that he can perceive, and the male flowers like the females have three, but smaller styles and never bear fruit. The post being about to go, he greets Linnaeus’s wife [Sara Elisabet Linnaea], and Carl Linnaeus the Younger, and all his friends.