Museum Department | Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. | 17, Bloomsbury Square, London, W.C.
Octr 23/77
Sir
I enclose for your acceptance a few seeds of 2 plants which have a very curious structure in the flower.1 I am not aware that the object of the structure has as yet been investigated. The plants are at present in flower at Kew, from whence I begged a few seeds—hoping that you might be induced to investigate the matter, in the able manner in which you have hitherto laid open the secrets of nature. Unfortunately I have neither opportunity nor ability to investigate the plants thoroughly—
The hairs on the calyx appear to contain a very acrid fluid & act as stings The stigma is apparently thoroughly protected from its own pollen until the anthers are over when it elongates. The base of the staminodes however form a kind of lever spring so that an insect alighting on the base of a petal raise the staminodes from the pistil. The object of this arrangement is not obvious to me.
Trusting you will pardon in the interests of science the liberty I have taken in addressing you
I am Sir | Yours very truly | E. M. Holmes | (Curator)
C. Darwin Esq
Please cite as “DCP-LETT-11203,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on