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Darwin Correspondence Project

From W. C. Williamson   20 September 1878

The Owens College, | Manchester,

Septr. 20th 1878

My Dear Darwin

You will remember my sending you some very young seedlings of Drosera Spathulata in a state resembling D. rotundifolia—1 The brood of which I sent you samples is now develop⁠⟨⁠ed⁠⟩⁠ into a group of fine pla⁠⟨⁠nts⁠⟩⁠ The seed from wh⁠⟨⁠ich⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ them was sown ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ as gathered— But ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ up a small portion of it in a glass tube and sowed it early in the present spring— I have never disturbed the plants, hence they are now densely crowded together in their seed pan. I send you three of them from which you will see two things—first that they are leaving the rotundifolian type— Secondly that owing to their being crowded together they have ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ somewhat of the ⁠⟨⁠  ⁠⟩⁠t form of Drosera Capensis.2 Though you may already be familiar with all this I thought it worth while sending you the illustrative specimens—

By the way if you or your sons3 want any more matured specimens of D. Spathulata I can send you any number. & shall have the greatest pleasure in doing so—

I am ever y⁠⟨⁠ours⁠⟩⁠ | W. C. W⁠⟨⁠illiamson⁠⟩⁠

Footnotes

See letter from W. C. Williamson, 19 January 1878 and n. 1. Drosera spatulata is the spoon-leaved sundew (spathulata is a common misspelling); D. rotundifolia is the common or round-leaved sundew.
Drosera capensis (Cape sundew) has strap-like leaves.
Francis Darwin was CD’s secretary and assistant; William Erasmus Darwin also sometimes helped with botanical observations.

Summary

Drosera species vary in form depending upon conditions. Send specimens

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-11697
From
William Crawford Williamson
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Owens College, Manchester
Source of text
DAR 181: 106
Physical description
ALS 3pp damaged

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11697,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11697.xml

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