To J. D. Hooker 26 October [1873]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent.
Oct. 26th
My dear Hooker
I am extremely glad to hear about the aggregation in the Nepenthes glands.— It is possible, judging from Drosophyllum, that there may be secreting glands distinct from absorbent glands; if so the former will be little affected by C. of Ammonia.—2
I strongly think you do not give the experiment with the cubes of albumen a fair chance by trying pitchers including dead insects. Considering size of the pitchers, I shd. think you had better suspend cubes of an inch in size. I wd. let one lie at bottom & another suspended in the middle of fluid. Cubes of roast meat, not overdone, are also excellent for trial, but I wd. try them in distinct virgin pitcher.—
Many thanks for the analysis; of secretion of Nepenthes, it is quite sufficient, as of course I do not touch on Nepenthes.3
I fear Acacia farnesiana is much too big to send: A fresh leaf, of A. farnesianum sent damp could tell me something.—
Could you strike a cutting or graft one on any common species for me; & then perhaps it wd. form new leaves in 2 or 3 months; & so, with Mimosa albida.—4 If this can be done, there is no time to be lost. I fear that you have no species living of Desmodium with 3 leaflets (whether or not all 3 leaflets are of same size); I long to examine such a species.— I have told Frank to look out for any dried Desmodium with tendrils: I see such names as D. volubile, adscendens, adhæsivum, prehensile, uncinatum, retinens, & spirale.— What is D. gyroides, I fancied it might be near gyrans.— But Frank will be able to tell me something.5
Huxley is here & is wonderfully pleasant & jolly— He says that he is quite well; but his face is very thin, & he eats surprisingly little.6
Your troublesome friend | Ch Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Insectivorous plants. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1875.
Movement in plants: The power of movement in plants. By Charles Darwin. Assisted by Francis Darwin. London: John Murray. 1880.
Steudel, Ernst Gottlieb. 1841. Nomenclator botanicus: seu: synonymia plantarum universalis, enumerans ordine alphabetico nomina atque synonyma, tum generica tum specifica, et a Linnaeo et a recentioribus de re botanica scriptoribus plantis phanerogamis imposita. 2d edition. 2 parts. Stuttgart and Tübingen: J. G. Cotta.
Summary
Extremely glad to hear of the aggregation in Nepenthes glands. Advises on experimenting with cubes of albumen – gives sizes, also suggests cubes of roast meat. Thanks for analyses of secretion of Nepenthes.
Asks for cutting of Acacia farnesiana.
Longs to examine a species of Desmodium with three leaflets. Has asked Frank [Darwin] to look for species of Desmodium with tendrils.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-9114
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 95: 284–5
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9114,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9114.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 21