Feedback request: Melissa officinalis (K001189313)

[oldnick]

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Specimen #402924

Taxon:	Lamiaceae: Melissa officinalis L. ("Balm")
Filed in taxon folder:	Lamiaceae: Melissa officinalis L. ("Balm")
Collection date:	7/1862
Locality:	Great Britain, VC17 Surrey, Croydon, TQ3066, Therapia [Mitcham Road, Croydon]
ex herb:	John Stuart Mill
Institution:	Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Accession number:	K001189313
Image: © Kew

Documented by oldnick on 6^th December 2015.

Edit history

date	user	change
06/12/2015	oldnick	Deleted locality: Therapia, [Croydon?]
06/12/2015	oldnick	Added locality: GB VC17 Croydon, Therapia [Mitcham Road, Croydon] TQ3066 (place)

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User comments about this sheet

oldnick wrote

'Therapia' may be the place in Croydon, W of Mitcham Road / Purley Way junction, around TQ303667; being a tram station, (presumably a former railway station?) might explain Mill's visit

[Roger Horton]

From The Croydon Citizen (2012) "Therapia Lane, the tram stop named for the lavender grown there from 1749 and used for herbal therapies, the most famous of which was Mitcham Lavender Water."

[oldnick]

Aha! What a great find! Double lavender waters all round!

[Roger Horton]

The tram station appears to be recent (2000). The old Wimbledon and Croydon Railway had stations at Beddington Lane 1.5km W (TQ282676) and Waddon Marsh 1km SE (TQ310660).

Waddon Hospital used to be just south of where the tram station now is. One of the reasons given for its decline was the lack of access by public transport.