ks are of the utmost value, and I am greatly
obliged to you for your criticism on the term. "Morphological" seems
quite just, but I do not see how I can avoid using it. I found, after
writing to you, in Vaucher about the Rue (699/1. "Plantes d'Europe,"
Volume I., page 559, 1841.), but from what you say I will speak more
cautiously. It is the Spanish Chesnut that varies in divergence. Seeds
named Viola nana were sent me from Calcutta by Scott. I must refer
to the plants as an "Indian species," for though they have produced
hundreds of closed flowers, they have not borne one perfect flower.
(699/2. The cleistogamic flowers of Viola are used in the discussion on
Nageli's views. See "Origin," Edition V., page 153.) You ask whether I
want illustrations "of ovules differing in position in different flowers
on the same plant." If you know of such cases, I should certainly much
like to hear them. Again you speak of the angle of leaf-divergence
varying and the variations being transmitted. Was the latter point put
in in a hurry to round the sentence, or do you really know of cases?

Whilst looking for notes on the variability of the divisions of the
ovarium, position of the ovules, aestivation, etc., I found remarks
written fifteen or twenty years ago, showing that I then supposed that
characters which were nearly uniform throughout whole groups must be
of high vital importance to the plants themselves; consequently I was
greatly puzzled how, with organisms having very different habits
of life, this uniformity could have been acquired through Natural
Selection. Now, I am much inclined to believe, in accordance with
the view given towards the close of my MS., that the near approach
to uniformity in such structures depends on their not being of vital
importance, and therefore not being acted on by Natural Selection.
(699/3. This view is given in the "Origin," Edition VI., page 372.) If
you have reflected on this point, what do you think of it? I hope that
you approved of the argument deduced from the modifications in the small
closed flowers.

It is only about two years since last edition of "Origin," and I am
fairly disgusted to find how much I have to modify, and how much I ought
to add; but I have determined not to add much. Fleeming Jenkin has given
me much trouble, but has been of more real use to me than any other
essay or review. (699/4. On Fleeming Jenkin's review, "N. British
Review," June, 1867, see "Life and Letters,"