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Darwin Correspondence Project

To John Rogers   14 October [1861]1

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

Oct 14th

Dear Sir

Mr Veitch has kindly sent me a Catasetum & I think I at last understand its mechanism.2 I shd. like to quote what you said;3 but I am anxious to hear (if you will kindly inform me) whether you often touched the “trigger”; & if so whether you did it with your finger & in this case, whether the sticky hair or gland always or generally hit your finger so as to stick to it. I shd. be very much obliged for this little bit of information.

Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Charles Darwin

Did you ever notice any nectar in the pouch or basin in the labellum of Catasetum? Have you cultivated Stanhopea and you ever notice nectar in the cup of this genus? or in Oncidium?

Footnotes

The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to J. D. Hooker, 11 October [1861] (Correspondence vol. 9).
CD refers to James Veitch. See Correspondence vol. 9, letter to J. D. Hooker, 11 October [1861].
CD cited Rogers (misspelt ‘Rodgers’) on Catasetum in Orchids, p. 236 n. *.

Summary

Would like to quote JR on the trigger mechanism of Catasetum in Orchids

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-3285F
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
John Rogers
Sent from
Down
Source of text
Rogers family (private collection)
Physical description
ALS 2pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3285F,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3285F.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 18 (Supplement)

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