From J. D. Hooker [28 September 1868]1
Royal Gardens Kew
Monday
Dear Darwin
The Wheat & Oat was carefully opened examined in Congress of Oliver, Bentham Gray & myself.—2 it is a case of a bit of oat panicle entangled in the wheat ear. They have grown side by side & been blown together & hence the interlocking— there is no organic connection of any kind.
Gray said before I opened the box, that he did not doubt but that it would prove a simila case to what he has often had referred to him, viz Bromus sterilis entangled in the same way in a Wheat Ear—3 The retrorsely roughened pedicel of the oat renders it impossible for a young floret so entangled to get free again of itself.
Gray’s go to Somersetshire for a week or so on Friday & to you about the middle of the month. I shall like much to bring Harriette & Willy.4
Ever yrs affec | J D Hooker
Have you seen Holyoake’s account of the B. A. meeting addressed to New York Tribune— I had no idea he was such a trashy fellow.5
Recd enclosed | I have sent for a specimen6
Footnotes
Summary
The wheat and oat specimen has been examined "in congress" by Oliver, Bentham, Asa Gray, and JDH. No organic connection of any kind.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6396
- From
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Kew
- Source of text
- DAR 102: 235
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6396,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6396.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16