Dear Darwin—

I was longing for news of you all, & glad to get it. Theodora—what a delightful name. a gift of the Gods— or is it Sara that William is going to marry— you mention both names as Miss Sedgwicks, to the distraction of my Ladies.¹

I sent you seeds of Mimosa pudica (with 2 Cassias seeds) last week, all that remained of the Mim. seed, I hope that you got them   Today 3 Cycas seeds go of a kind not hitherto known in England. C pectinata of Sikkim & Assam.² The seed had been some days sown, as you are informed in the paper—

We germinated two Welwitschia seeds some months ago— the two linear green cotyledonary leaves were quite ordinary— The hypocotyledonary axis was flattened.— They were fully formed, about $\frac{1}{2}$ inch long, when both plants died!— No root feeders had formed on the tip of the radicle. It was most disgusting—& the only case I know of, of a plant dying by the visitation of God—pure & simple.— all other plants at Kew have been killed by mismanagement of Gardeners³

We have two old small plants that are rooting & elongating the tattered remains of the two old leaves. I have no reason to suppose that the old leaves are not the original cotyledonary ditto.⁴

I do hope that M^r Litchfield will remain all right—⁵

I hope you approve of our giving Dana the Copley & Heer a Royal Medal⁶

Ever affy yrs | J D Hooker.