To ?1 8 June 1874
I should be greatly obliged if you would observe for me about what proportion (i.e. or ) of the leaves of Pinguicola have insects adhering to them. It would greatly help if any leaves with captured insects were folded up separately in damp rag, & such packets sent to me in a tin box with damp moss by post. I should thus learn what sorts of insects were caught.
Please to observe carefully whether the secretion from the captured insect ever runs to the upturned edge of the leaf of the leaf, and is then deflected to either side along the channel formed by the upturned edge. I have ascertained that the leaves absorbe nutritious matter from seeds placed on them; & I particularly want to know whether in a state of nature, seed of any kind are found adhering to the leaves. Should this occur, please to send me such leaves, packed as above described.
The observations on seeds, would be best mad in one, two or three months hence. In what kind of situation does Pinguicola vulgaris grow, & what kind of other plants grow round it.?
Ch. Darwin
Down Beckenham Kent Jun 8th. 1874
Footnotes
Summary
Asks about insects and seeds on leaves of Pinguicula.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-9230
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Unidentified
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.435)
- Physical description
- LS 1p inc? & ADraft 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9230,” accessed on 29 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9230.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 22