Darwin Correspondence Project

Thursdy. morng.

I have been looking at several species of Tecoma this morning. Trained up walls & iron girders or rafters they are more peculiarly unfavourable conditions for exhibition of climbing idiosyncrasies!—

T. capensis exhibits no rootlets nor do I see any indication of twining. It wd. seem to be a scrambler! T. undulata— I think I saw but a young plant. I doubt if it shew any twisting or climbing.—

T. jasminoides & T. Latrobei I find tips of branches spirally twisted— I put them in herewith.— T. Latrobei is the small-leaved one

Yours very sincerely D. O.

I wrote you about axis & leaf a few days ago. I have been thinking that I shd perhaps apologise for a letter which might have been more seemly if addressed to one of my students—but from the way in which the enquiry was put I thought there was indication of doubt upon one or two matters which routinists regard in the light of axioms.