Ɛpsilon

To Paul Rohrbach   23 February [1867]1

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

Feb 23—

Dear Sir

I am much obliged to you for your kindness in sending me your Memoir on Epipogium, which has interested me much, as the structure & manner of fertilization of the genus are quite new to me. You seem to have worked out the details of the plant with great care. I have long suspected that the classification of Orchids wd require considerable modification, & this seems to be confirmed by some of your remarks.2

With my renewed thanks & best wishes for your continued success in yr researches in Natural History I remain Dear Sir yours faithfully & obliged | Ch. Darwin

LS

1
The year is established by the probable publication of Rohrbach 1866 after the paper was awarded a prize on 4 June 1866 (see n. 2, below).
2
There is a lightly annotated copy of Rohrbach’s memoir on Epigogium (Rohrbach 1866) in the Darwin Pamphlet Collection–CUL. An archival note attached to the letter indicates that Rohrbach’s paper was a submission to a competition; he was awarded the prize on 4 June 1866. CD referred to Rohrbach’s ‘admirable memoir’ in ‘Fertilization of orchids’, p. 155 (Collected papers 2: 152). In Orchids 2d ed., p. 103, CD cited Rohrbach’s observation that the structure and manner of fertilization of E. gmelini were similar to those of Epipactis, and concluded that the genera were allied, contrary to John Lindley’s classification.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5414,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5414