To A. W. Bennett   22 September [1874]¹

Dear Sir.

I thank you for your kindness.— Prof. Hoffmann generally sends me his papers. but oddly I cannot remember whether I have seen the two sent by you—² I shall however no doubt, remember when I look at them, which I will do in the course of a week or so. & I will then return them to you, as I presume you want them back. With respect to Drosera & Pinguicula. I imagine that you refer to cells with spiral lines, just like the spiral vessels & which surprised me much; but I shall hear from Hooker.—³ I do not think these spiral cells are connected with digestion, as they occur (as far as I have seen) only towards the margin of the leaves in Pinguicula & not at all in Dionæa— But I am scandalously ignorant of histology— These cells were described in the Glands of Drosera by Trécul & Groemland many years ago in Annales des Sc: Nat:⁴

With many thanks | Yours very faithfully. | Ch. Darwin.

P.S. Looking at your notice again I think I know to what you refer. In Drosera they have the power of absorption; in Pinguicula both of secretion & absorption.— Speaking from memory I think they differ a good deal in Structure in the 2 genera