Dream On by Agricola

Puzzle explanation

The extra words in clues gave “Coleridge’s imagination blossoming thus” and “specialised Mongolian horticulture inspiring Samuel”. The WALLs, TOWERs and the river ALPH in the grid set the scene for Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan, which also includes “many an incense-bearing tree”. The highlighted fragrant trees (or shrubs) were BOSWELLIA (in Chambers under olibanum), CISTUS (given in Chambers as the source of ladanum), LASERWORT (herb frankincense), BALSAM, SANTAL, SPRUCE (source of spruce resin, under frankincense).

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1   STOWER (t)OWE(l) in STR
5   INWALL IN + W + ALL
9   PAVAGE VA in PAGE
10   DAHLIA (AIL + HAD) <
11   ARAYSE RAYS in AE
13   INS NS after I
14 Cole BOSWELLIAN BOS + WELL + IAN
15   ARTS DARTS − D
16   SPLURGER SPL + URGE + R(angers)
18   LEKS 2 meanings
20   RENEW (bar)REN EW(e)
22   PEARES A in PÈRE + S
25   AMASS AS around MAS
28   ASUR A + SUR
29   METABOLA MET + A + BOLA(s)
30   SPIT 2 meanings
33   ENRAPTURES (EU PARTNER’S) *
34 ridge’s CIS SIC <
35 imagination TUSHES ’T + HUSHES − H
37   ASSART ASSERT with A for E
38   STACEY STAY around CE
39   WALLAS WALLAROOS − (R + OO)
40   TOWERS ERS after TOW
Down
1   SPA ’S + AP <
2   TABORET TAB + O + RET
3   OVIST VIS in OT
4   EGRESSES EG + R + ESSES
5   IDYLLS IDLY * + LS
6   WHEARE WARE around HE
7   LINE 2 meanings
8 Blossoming LASER S in LAER
12   ALPHA AL + H in PA
14 thus BALSA SLAB < + A
17 specialised GNUS SUNG <
19   KYAT K(indl)Y A(c)T
20   RELATE TO RE + TET in LAO
21 Mongolian WORTS STROW <
23   RALPH (PLA in HR) <
24   QUIETER (QUIT + ER) around E
26 horticulture SANTAL SANTA + L
27   COASTS S in COATS
29 inspiring MACAW MACKINAW − KIN
31 Samuel PRUCE PRUDE with C for D
32   PISA IS in PA
36   NYS NY + S
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