Reports observations on the fertilisation of Goodeniaceae, and particularly Leschenaultia. [See 2992.]
Showing 1–5 of 5 items
The Charles Darwin Collection
The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in Ɛpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.
Reports observations on the fertilisation of Goodeniaceae, and particularly Leschenaultia. [See 2992.]
Observations of Brunonia and a case of a malvaceous flower, which never opened and was self-fertilised.
Asks JD to observe Leschenaultia formosa to verify CD’s hypothesis of how it is fertilised. Also suggests an experiment to determine whether it is fertilised by nocturnal insects.
JD’s letter of 17 Sept about Leschenaultia not seeding is surprising. CD’s experiments point to insects which, though perhaps not indispensable to their fertilisation, are useful to it. Would like to know whether the flower of Leschenaultia is visited by bees or other insects.
JD’s offer to send seeds of Distylis and the other genus is of greatest possible interest.
Responds to JD’s letter [2944]. Would like to know whether bees extract pollen from within the indusium of Leschenaultia. He suspects they brush over and partly open the indusium while sucking nectar from the flower.
Asks also about malvaceous plant that set seed although its flower never opened.
Has been watching the achenia of the plant sent by JD and, if Hooker agrees, will publish a note on it ["Achenia of Pumilio argyrolepis", Collected papers 2: 36–8].