To W. C. Tait 27 August [1869]1
Down, Beckenham, Kent. S.E.
Aug. 27th,
My dear Sir
I write merely to thank you for your very kind offer to send me more specimens and seed of Drosophyllum;2 but I will not trouble you, for they would be superfluous. Strangely 3 of your plants, after being sickly, have perfectly recovered and are growing vigorously and have produced plenty of seed! They catch abundance of insects; but I cannot make out anything peculiar about their structure or functions. I suppose it is my soil; for they cannot succeed at Kew.3 I am going to give one or two of my plants to Kew and seed. Dr Hooker has made out that the genus is certainly closely allied to Drosera, though having such different habits.4 The case of the Lizard is very interesting and shall certainly be quoted, if I ever live to come to embryology.5
With my best thanks. Pray believe me | yours sincerely and obliged | Ch. Darwin.
Footnotes
Summary
Will not trouble WCT for more specimens of Drosophyllum. Hooker says genus is closely allied to Drosera, though having such different habits.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6872
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- William Chester Tait
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 147: 546
- Physical description
- C
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6872,” accessed on 13 May 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6872.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17