Ɛpsilon

From L. E. Becker   28 December [1866]1

10 Grove st | Ardwick | Manchester

Dec. 28.

My dear Sir

Will you please to accept my hearty thanks for the paper on “Climbing Plants, which you have generously bestowed on me, and for the loan of the others which I will take great care of, and return to you before long—2 You do not name Primula farinosa in your paper3—but will not be surprised to hear that in looking over my dried specimens of this plant, nine in number—I find 5 long styled, and 4 short styled plants. I have taken the liberty of enclosing one of each in proof of my words

and remain | dear Sir | yours sincerely | Lydia E Becker

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from L. E. Becker, 22 December 1866.
2
Becker had asked CD to send one of his papers for presentation to a ladies’ group (see letter from L. E. Becker, 22 December 1866 and n. 4). In addition to ‘Climbing plants’, CD sent ‘Dimorphic condition in Primula’ (see n. 3, below) and probably ‘Three forms of Lythrum salicaria’ (see Correspondence vol. 15, letter from L. E. Becker, 6 February 1867).
3
In ‘Dimorphic condition in Primula’, CD discussed the results of experiments with Primula veris, P. sinensis, and P. auricula. CD later included information on P. farinosa (bird’s eye primrose), based on John Scott’s experiments with the species, in Forms of flowers, pp. 45, 224, 273.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5327,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5327