Requests that exotic species of Vinca, which never set seed at Kew, be fertilised by pressing a fine bristle between anthers as a moth would its proboscis.
Asks that Primula farinosa be sent.
Showing 41–60 of 130 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.
Requests that exotic species of Vinca, which never set seed at Kew, be fertilised by pressing a fine bristle between anthers as a moth would its proboscis.
Asks that Primula farinosa be sent.
Has put Drosera off while amusing himself with Primula and orchids.
Dionaea is prettily adapted to weight detection.
Asks DO to look for nectar in Stanhopea saccata labellum. CD’s theory predicts nectar should be present, but afraid there is none.
Finds no trace of nectar in Stanhopea saccata.
Refers CD to a paper which he ought to know: Ch. Fermond, "Faits pour servir à l’histoire générale de la fécondation chez les végétaux", Recueil des travaux de la Société d’émulation pour les sciences pharmaceutiques 3 (1859).
Requests that DO examine enclosed microscope slides of Acropera ovules, to confirm CD’s opinion that females are non-functional.
Can DO comment on disagreement between Robert Brown and John Lindley over the number of Acropera carpels?
O. Heer’s Atlantis theory vs CD’s hypothesis of a migration north during warm periods.
Trusts DO’s opinion on Acropera ovules.
Asks DO to identify enclosed Fumaria or Corydalis flower, with springing hood adaptation.
Now believes flowers of Fumariaceae must be self-fertilised.
Planning a piece on dimorphism in the Natural History Review ["On the two forms, or dimorphic condition, in the species of Primula … by Charles Darwin", n.s. 2 (1862): 235–43].
Observations on Campanula dimorphism.
DO’s observations on polymorphism in Primula and Campanula. CD recognises three classes of dimorphism, as in Primula, Thymus, and Campanula and violets.
DO’s Campanula paper and Royal Institution lecture [Not. Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 3 (1858–62): 431–3].
CD’s interest in Fumariaceae from A. Gray’s comments on "selfing".
Bees bite holes in flowers when same species grows in high density.
Organisation of CD’s notes.
Requests Oxalis acetosella, which he suspects is dimorphic.
Distinguishes two kinds of floral dimorphism: that affecting sexual organs and that affecting outer envelopes.
Thanks for Oxalis. Only experimentation will show whether disproportion of long- to short-styled flowers is a functional dimorphism.
Case of aestival flowers is very curious.
Thanks for Orchids.
Asa Gray approves of Orchids; his work on American species confirms CD’s findings.
Asks DO to identify a plant grown from earth adhering to the foot of a woodcock.
Describes floral anatomy of a Catasetum sent by DO.
Has gone on from orchids to studying insect agency in Pelargonium.
His doubts on the worth of publishing Orchids.
Asa Gray has a self-fertilising Platanthera, like the bee orchid. CD believes problem of the latter will some day be explained. Speculates [Ophrys] arachnites may be crossing form and bee orchid self-fertilising form of the same species.
Cytisus adami is a puzzle.
Pleased if DO will review Orchids [Nat. Hist. Rev. n.s. 2 (1862): 371–6] .
His review of Primula paper was capital. [Nat. Hist. Rev. n.s. 2 (1862): 235–43].
Requests peloric plants.
Sends orchids from W. H. Gower.
Cares more for dimorphism now than for orchids. Today saw the three forms of Lythrum, which means there should be 18 different practicable crosses.