From W. E. Darwin 9 October 1862
Southampton
Oct 9. 62
My Dear Father,
I am horribly disgusted at such a blunder. I know how it is now, and can soon put it right. I marked them them with strings 1, 2, 3, at first I meant to mark them 1 for L. p. 2. mP. 3. S. p.; I have a sort of feeling now, that you mentioned the contrary way, and that I took to it; but in making them up for you I forgot that I had changed.
So that in what I sent you, the M.P. are right; I have looked at the M.P again and what I call L.p. are S.p., and the S.p’s are L.ps.1
I have just carefully looked at my branches, I have not the slightest doubt that such is the case, as in what I supposed S.p. I found one or two pods with a great long pistil standing out as plain as possible.
I will pick you out some pods of each this evening and send them.
But if you feel certain, there are some of each sort mixed together. I am utterly gumflustergated, as I took most particular care and if it is so, two branches must have grown together— I can easily go and get some more, if you feel any doubts about what I am going to send you.
Do you want the seed measured by lines of about 50 pods or how many?2
Your affect Son WED
Footnotes
Bibliography
‘Three forms of Lythrum salicaria’: On the sexual relations of the three forms of Lythrum salicaria. By Charles Darwin. [Read 16 June 1864.] Journal of the Linnean Society (Botany) 8 (1865): 169–96. [Collected papers 2: 106–31.]
Summary
Discusses length of pistils, and measuring seeds and pods for botanical work.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3754F
- From
- William Erasmus Darwin
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Southampton
- Source of text
- Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 7)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3754F,” accessed on 30 May 2023, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3754F.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 24 (Supplement)