My dear Lindley

I did not thank you for your two very kind notes until I heard from Hooker.² All that he knows about Acropera luteola is that he “believes it was received under that name from Loddiges”.³ In structure it closely resembles A. Loddigesii, but is very different in colour, being all yellow. I enclose a mutilated specimen.—

The evidence from the rudimentary state of the ovules, & from the entrance into the stigmatic cavity being so contracted that the pollen-masses can rarely be inserted, & from other lesser reasons, seems sufficient to show that the Kew plant is a Male. Judging only from the contracted stigmatic cavity A. Loddigesii must be also a male.—⁴ I fear there is no chance of your recognising the mutilated fragment in Spirits. I begged Hooker to send me a dried Gongora flower that I might see whether that is (according to your suggestion) the Female, as far as the state of the pollen would show; but he does not say he will, but I hope he intends to do so.—⁵ I had no intention to be so troublesome to you; for I had not the most remote idea, but what A. luteola was a well-known name.

With cordial thanks | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin