To Anton de Bary 5 August 1879
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | (Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.) [Waterhead Hotel, Coniston.]
August 5. 1879
Dear Sir
My son Francis has shown me the two wonderful specimens of Utricularia, which you were so kind as to give him; & I hope that you will allow me to urge you to publish an account of your observations.1 This seems highly desirable, because the case of Utricularia is widely different from that of Drosera. I could not detect any evidence of true digestion in Utricularia, though the state of the cells in contact with decaying animal matter plainly showed that there had been absorption.—2 The fact of young seedlings developing bladders is also very interesting.
I hope that you will excuse the liberty which I have taken in writing to you; & this note requires no sort of answer.
With great respect & with my thanks for your kindness to my son I remain | Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Insectivorous plants. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1875.
Summary
Thanks ADeB for sending specimens of Utricularia to Francis [Darwin]. Urges him to publish his observations, because Utricularia differs widely from Drosera. CD has been unable to detect any evidence of true digestion in Utricularia.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-12182
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Anton Heinrich (Anton) de Bary
- Sent from
- Coniston Down letterhead
- Source of text
- Natural History Museum, Library and Archives (General Special Collections MSS DAR A 45a)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12182,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12182.xml