,,; [862] KNIGHT'S LAW 2; l 



that some unknown causes had favoured development ol I 

 and bushes in New /.calami, and consequent on this tl 

 had been a development of tion of sexes to previ 



too much intermarriage. I do not, of course, suppose the 

 prevention of too much intermarriage the only go< d "I 

 separation of sexes. Bui such wild notions are nol worth 

 troubling you u ith the reading of. 



To J. 1). Hooker. Lettei 



Moor Park [May 2nil, 1857]. 



The most striking case, which I have stumbled on, on 

 apparent, but false relation of structure of plants to climate, 

 seems to be Meyer and Doege's remark that there is not one 

 single, even moderately-sized, family at the Cape of G 

 Hope which has not one or several species with heath-like 

 foliage ; and when we consider this together with the number 

 of true heaths, any one would have been justified, had it not 

 been for our own British heaths, 1 in saying that heath-like 

 foliage must stand in direct relation to a dry and moderately 

 warm climate. Does this not strike you as a good case of 

 false relation? I am so pleased with this place and the 

 people here, that I am greatly tempted to bring Etty here, for 

 she has not, on the whole, derived any benefit from Hastings. 

 With thanks for your never failing assistance to me . . . 



I remember that you were surprised at number of seeds 

 germinating in pond mud. I tried a fourth pond, and took 

 about as much mud (rather moic than in former case) as 

 would fill a very large breakfast cup, and before I had left 

 home 118 plants had come up; how many more will be up 

 on my return I know not. This bears on chance of birds by 

 their muddy feet transporting fresh-water plants. 



This would not be a bad dodge for a collector in country 

 when plants were not in seed, to collect and dry mud from 

 ponds. 



1 It is well known th.u plants with xerophytic characteristics are not 

 confined to dry climates ; it is only necessary to mention haloph 

 alpine plants and certain epiphytes. The heaths of Northern Eui 

 are placed among the xerophytes by Warming (Lehrbuch tier bkologischen 

 Pflanzengeographie, p. 234, Berlin, 1S96). 



