Down Beckenham Kent
April 19th. 1880
My dear Gray
It was very good of you to send me Mr. $Rattan$'s letter which
has interested me extremely. I suppose that I may give some of his statements. It seems
almost certain that the protection of the plumule from frost has determined the
curious mode of germination; & this agrees well with the drawing down
{in winter} of so many seedlings by the contraction of their
radicles. But I still think the protection of the enlarged roots from being devoured is
probably a secondary advantage thus gained. The ``crocks'' explain the behaviour in your
first case.
What a curious fact of Mr. Rattan's,—that of the confluent
petioles growing {out} horizontally without coming into contact
with the bottom of the shallow box. From what I have observed with other seedlings I
believe I understand the cause, but it is too long a story. I wish I had a score of
germinating seeds to experimentise on.—
Very many thanks for P. Card about roots of Ipomœa leptophylla: I have
tried in vain to get seeds of I. pandurata from Kew.
Ever yours very truly | Ch. Darwin
Mr Rattan seems to be a real good observer, & that is a rare
species of animal.—
