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Darwin Correspondence Project

From Charles Naudin1   8 March 1882

Villa Thuret | Laboratoire | de | L’enseignement supérieur | Antibes

le 8 Mars 1882

Mon cher et illustre Confrère,

J’ai remué Ciel et terre pour trouver les quelques graines de Trifolium resupinatum que je vous envoie dans cette lettre.2 J’espère que vous réussirez à élever les plantes qui en sortirout, mais, pour plus de sûreté, je me propose de vous envoyer des plantes vivantes et commençant à fleurir, dès que je pourrai les rencontrer dans la campagne et les distinguer des autres espèces de Trifolium parmi lesquelles elles croissent.

Nous avons en outre ici, et assez communs, les Trifolium subterraneum, suffocatum et tomentosum, ce dernier appartenant au groupe du resupinatum, c’est-à-dire à Calyce accrescent et Vésiculeux.3 Si ces espèces pouvaient vous intéresser, il me serait facile de vous les envoyer Vivantes.

Vous avez appris, au moins par le Gardeners’ Chronicle, la mort de ce pauvre Vieil ami Decaisne.4 Il a été cruellement persécuté dans ses dernières annèes, et il y a apparence que le tourment moral n’a pas été étranger à sa fin un peu prématurée. Suivant les uns il est mort d’une Embolie; suivant les autres d’une congestion du cerveau. En tout cas, sa gravelle, qui datait de plus de 30 ans, n’y a été pour rien.

Agréez, Mon cher confrère, l’assurance de mes sentiments les plus sincères, | Ch. Naudin

Footnotes

For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
Naudin had been trying to get seeds of Trifolium resupinatum (Persian clover) for CD since the previous August (see Correspondence vol. 29, letter from C. V. Naudin, 19 August 1881).
Trifolium subterraneum is subterranean clover; T. suffocatum is suffocated clover. Trifolium tomentosum is woolly clover; the accrescent calyx continues to grow, the sepals fusing together to enclose the fruit in an inflated bladder covered in white, woolly hairs.
Joseph Decaisne had died on 8 February 1882; an obituary was published in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 18 February 1882, pp. 215–16.

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Translation

From Charles Naudin1   8 March 1882

Villa Thuret | Laboratoire | de | L'enseignement supérieur | Antibes

8 March 1882

My dear and illustrious colleague,

I have moved Heaven and earth to find the few seeds of Trifolium resupinatum that I am sending you in this letter.2 I hope that you will succeed in raising plants from them, but, for more safety, I am planning to send you some living plants that are beginning to flower, as soon as soon as I am able to come upon them in the country and distinguish the other species of Trifolium among which they grow.

We have here in addition, and equally common, Trifolium subterraneum, suffocatum et tomentosum, the last belonging to the resupinatum group, that is to say with calyx accrescent and bladder-like.3 If these species could interest you, it would be easy for me to send you them alive.

You will have learned, at least through the Gardeners’ Chronicle, of the death of my poor old friend Decaisne.4 He was cruelly persecuted in his final years, and there is an indication that the mental anguish contributed to his premature death. According to some he died of an Embolism; according to others of congestion of the brain. In any case, his kidney stones, which dated from more than 30 years ago, had no hand in it.

Accept, My dear colleague, the assurance of my most sincere sentiments, | Ch. Naudin

Footnotes

For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see Transcript.
Naudin had been trying to get seeds of Trifolium resupinatum (Persian clover) for CD since the previous August (see Correspondence vol. 29, letter from C. V. Naudin, 19 August 1881).
Trifolium subterraneum is subterranean clover; T. suffocatum is suffocated clover. Trifolium tomentosum is woolly clover; the accrescent calyx continues to grow, the sepals fusing together to enclose the fruit in an inflated bladder covered in white, woolly hairs.
Joseph Decaisne had died on 8 February 1882; an obituary was published in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 18 February 1882, pp. 215–16.

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Summary

J. Decaisne has died.

Sends a few rare seeds of Trifolium resupinatum.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-13720
From
Charles Victor Naudin
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Villa Thuret, Antibes
Source of text
DAR 172: 11
Physical description
ALS 3pp (French)

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13720,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13720.xml

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