Ɛpsilon

From Federico Delpino1   8 April 1875

Pontassieve | per | Vallombrosa

8. Aprile 1875

Celeberrimo uomo!

Mi onoro di spedirle l’ultima parte delle mie osservazioni sulla Dicogamia.2 Ella vedrà che quasi ad ogni pagina figura il suo nome; nome che tanta orma ha lasciato in questo genere di ricerche. Nella conclusione del lavoro, a pag. 336, dichiaro la mia piena adesione alla teoria transformista propugnata dal primo naturalista del secolo.

Ho scoperto un singolare fenomeno di dimorfismo in una specie anemofila, nel noce.3 Non so se Ella troverà giuste le mie idee sul vero significato funzionale di quest’ordine di fenomeni, e se approverà la proposta nomenclatura.

In questo volume ho cercato di estendere un quadro possibilmente completo degli adattamenti delle piante a pronubi viventi (zoidiofile).4 L’argomento è interessante all’estremo, ma non so se sono riuscito nell’intento. Spero che altri proseguirà e compirà l’opera mia.

Vi sono quà e là delle osservazioni mie inediti. Fra gli apparecchi florali più singolari che ho studiato ultimamente sono quei del Lilium Martagon e del Lilium croceum, con bellissimi adattamenti alle sfingi.5

In quanto alla mancanza di nettare nei nettarii del genere Orchis le mie osservazioni coinciderebbero con quelle di Sprengel.6 Ho rilevato che Wächter fino dagli ultimi anni del secolo passato aveva argutamente osservato e interpretato il processo d’impollinazione nella Mieottia Nidus avis.7 Ho riportato fra gli apparecchi a carcere, l’apparecchio a bagno involontario segnalato dal Crüger nei Coryanthes.8 La Cephalanthera ensifolia si deporta da noi molto diversamente della C. grandiflora (p. 149)9

Finalmente ho steso i caratteri di 47 tipi florali diversi. Con molta fatica e con non minore convincimento ho elaborato questo lavoro; ma non so se trascinerò la convinzione degli specialisti. Lo spero ad ogni modo, e spero altresì che altri in seguito farà meglio di me.

È da un pezzo che non ho nuove della di Lei preziosa salute. Spero ch’Ella si trovi egregiamente, e che possa fruire ancora per lunghi anni dei segni di reverenza e di rispetto, dovuti a Lei da tutti naturalisti

Pieno di ammirazione e di affetto verso di Lei sono | suo ossequentissimo discepolo | Federico Delpino

CD annotations

End of letter: ’p118 False nectaries

323 Lilium martagon

211’10 pencil

1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
2
A heavily annotated copy of both parts of Ulteriori osservazioni sulla dicogamia nel regno vegetale (Further observations on dichogamy in the vegetable kingdom; Delpino 1868–75) is in the Darwin Library–CUL (see Marginalia 1: 191–2).
3
An appendix on dimorphism in the walnut species Juglans regia is in Delpino 1868–75, 2: 337–42. Anemophilous: wind-pollinated (Chambers).
4
Zoidiophilous: pollinated by the agency of animals (Jackson 1900).
5
Lilium martagon is the Turk’s cap lily, and Lilium croceum (now Lilium bulbiferum) is the tiger lily. Delpino may be referring to the phototropic style of the flowers; for details, see Brantjes and Bos 1980.
6
Christian Konrad Sprengel described orchids as ‘Scheinsaftsblumen’ or false-nectar flowers, because their nectaries contained no fluid (Sprengel 1793, p. 403). See Delpino 1868–75, p. 150 n.
7
Johann Karl Augustin Wächter discussed the role of insects in the fertilisation of Ophrys nidus (Not a valid taxon, but probably intended Ophrys nidus-avis, a synonym of Neottia nidus-avis, bird’s-nest orchid) in Wächter 1801, pp. 211–13. See Delpino 1868–75, p. 150 n.
8
Hermann Crüger had noted how the pollen-mass of Coryanthes was secured onto the back of the bee (Euglossa) as it tried to force its way out through a passage after falling into a ‘bucket’ of nectar; when the bee next fell into the bucket of the same or another flower, the pollen was deposited on the stigma as it tried to leave (Crüger 1864, p. 130). For previous correspondence with Delpino on this subject, see Correspondence vol. 17, letters from Federico Delpino, 9 October 1869 and 1 November 1869. Coryanthes is the genus of bucket orchids.
9
See Delpino 1868–75, p. 149 n. Cephalanthera ensifolia (sword-leaved helleborine) is a synonym of C. longifolia; the plant is pollinated by solitary bees. Cephalanthera grandiflora is another synonym of C. longifolia
10
The page references are to Delpino 1868–75; for the topics see nn. 6 and 7, above. They may be notes for CD’s reply, which has not been found.

From Federico Delpino1   8 April 1875

Pontassieve | per | Vallombrosa

8 April 1875

Most distinguished man!

I have the honour of sending you the last part of my observations on Dichogamy.2 You will see that your name appears on almost every page, the name that has left such a mark on this kind of research. In the conclusions, on p. 336, I declare my full support for the transformist theory advocated by the foremost naturalist of the century.

I discovered a singular example of dimorphism in an anemophilous species of the walnut.3 I do not know whether you will approve my ideas on the true functional significance of this order of phenomena, and whether you will approve of my proposed nomenclature.

In this volume, I tried to provide as complete as possible an outline of the adaptations of plants to living pollinators (zoidiophilous plants).4 The argument is extremely interesting, but I am not sure whether I have achieved my goals. I hope that others will pick up my work and complete it.

There are unpublished observations I made here and there. Among the most unique floral apparatus that I have studied are ultimately those of Lilium Martagon and of Lilium croceum, with the most beautiful adaptations to the sphinx-moths.5

Regarding the absence of nectar in the nectaries of the genus Orchis my observations coincide with those of Sprengel.6 I have learnt that Wächter, since the concluding years of the last century, has keenly observed and interpreted the process of pollination in Mieottia Nidus avis.7 Among the flowers that are apparatuses of entrapment, I have reported the apparatus of involuntary bathing, which has been pointed out by Crüger in Coryanthes.8 Cephalanthera ensifolia behaves very differently from C. grandiflora (p. 149) over here9

Finally, I have listed the characteristics of 47 different floral types. It took a lot of work and not a little faith to carry out this labour, and I am not sure whether I have managed to sway expert opinion with it. In any case I do hope so, and I also hope that others later on will improve on my work.

It has been quite some time since I had news about your precious health. I hope you are very well, and that you may be able to enjoy for many years yet the tokens of veneration and respect that all naturalists owe you.

Full of admiration and affection towards you I remain | your most faithful disciple | Federico Delpino

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original Italian, see pp. 131–2.
2
A heavily annotated copy of both parts of Ulteriori osservazioni sulla dicogamia nel regno vegetale (Further observations on dichogamy in the vegetable kingdom; Delpino 1868–75) is in the Darwin Library–CUL (see Marginalia 1: 191–2).
3
An appendix on dimorphism in the walnut species Juglans regia is in Delpino 1868–75, 2: 337–42. Anemophilous: wind-pollinated (Chambers).
4
Zoidiophilous: pollinated by the agency of animals (Jackson 1900).
5
Lilium martagon is the Turk’s cap lily, and Lilium croceum (now Lilium bulbiferum) is the tiger lily. Delpino may be referring to the phototropic style of the flowers; for details, see Brantjes and Bos 1980.
6
Christian Konrad Sprengel described orchids as ‘Scheinsaftsblumen’ or false-nectar flowers, because their nectaries contained no fluid (Sprengel 1793, p. 403). See Delpino 1868–75, p. 150 n.
7
Johann Karl Augustin Wächter discussed the role of insects in the fertilisation of Ophrys nidus (Not a valid taxon, but probably intended Ophrys nidus-avis, a synonym of Neottia nidus-avis, bird’s-nest orchid) in Wächter 1801, pp. 211–13. See Delpino 1868–75, p. 150 n.
8
Hermann Crüger had noted how the pollen-mass of Coryanthes was secured onto the back of the bee (Euglossa) as it tried to force its way out through a passage after falling into a ‘bucket’ of nectar; when the bee next fell into the bucket of the same or another flower, the pollen was deposited on the stigma as it tried to leave (Crüger 1864, p. 130). For previous correspondence with Delpino on this subject, see Correspondence vol. 17, letters from Federico Delpino, 9 October 1869 and 1 November 1869. Coryanthes is the genus of bucket orchids.
9
See Delpino 1868–75, p. 149 n. Cephalanthera ensifolia (sword-leaved helleborine) is a synonym of C. longifolia; the plant is pollinated by solitary bees. Cephalanthera grandiflora is another synonym of C. longifolia

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9919,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9919