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Darwin Correspondence Project

To J. S. Henslow   [14 October 1843]

Shrewsbury.

Saturday

{where I am come for a weeks visit

My dear Henslow,

I fear you will be wearied about the Atriplex: I have written to Mr Kemp to ascertain what precautions he took in sowing his seeds.— But do you not think that the same odd variety of the Atriplex, having come up in the Hort. Soc & at Mr Kemps, shows that as far as this one species is concerned, there can be no doubt? It will be rather flat, if you ultimately pronounce the Atriplex to be merely a variety, although one new to you.—1 I was mentioning the last week the case to E. Forbes & he suggested (what I had thought of, but had forgotten) my sending a specimen to Babington, that mighty man for minute differences of British Plants. I think I will ⁠⟨⁠do so⁠⟩⁠, as anyhow it wd. be worth hearing what he thinks.2

I am full of surprise at your new trade & the success you have met with in modelling — 300 people must have paid their shilling fee!

Ever yours | C. D

Footnotes

Charles Cardale Babington identified it as A. angustifolia, a common weed on mud-flats (see letter from C. C. Babington, 26 October 1843).

Summary

CD has written to W. Kemp to ascertain what precautions he took in sowing his seeds. "It will be rather flat if you … pronounce the Atriplex to be merely a variety". Suggests sending plants to C. C. Babington.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-705
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
John Stevens Henslow
Sent from
Shrewsbury
Source of text
DAR 93: A11–12
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 705,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-705.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 2

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