From J. T. Moggridge   15 March [1867]1

St. Roch.

March 15

Dear Mr. Darwin

the enclosed box contains a very remarkable form of Thymus vulgaris, having its anthers of the same form as those of the Hermaphrodite form— The anthers contain bad pollen— The whole of a large plant—having 12 expanded heads of flowers—was in in this condition, except that in two or three cases flowers had but two instead of four lobes to the corolla.— This plant is marked with wool, & I enclose four other heads from four separate plants.—2

I also enclose a few racemes of Rhamnus Alaternus— I will observe this plant more, but as yet I find no pollen in the anthers of the female flowers—3

Each raceme of Rhamnus in the box is from a distinct bush.—

Many thanks for your letter received March 13—4 | yrs. very sincerely | J. Traherne Moggridge.

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and CD’s note on the the letter from J. T. Moggridge, 6 March [1867].
2
For CD’s comments on the specimens of Thymus vulgaris (English thyme) sent by Moggridge, see his note on the letter from J. T. Moggridge, 6 March [1867].
3
In a note dated 19 March 1867, CD wrote that Moggridge had sent him flowers of Rhamnus alaternus (Italian buckthorn) and commented, ‘they are simply dioiceous, in nearly same state as common Holly’ (DAR 109: A43). See letter from J. T. Moggridge, 6 March [1867] and n. 7.
4
CD’s letter to Moggridge has not been found.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5444,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5444