to
Summary
Discusses the female parts of the Primula flower; the true character of the free placenta is not completely understood.
Transcription
Royal Gardens Kew
Thursday
My dear Sir
I shall be glad of a sight of the monstrous ovaries of Primula.f2 The true character of the free placenta is not thoroughly understood—indeed Casparyf3 regards the `pistil’ as not homologous with the pistil (carpels) of other plants but as `procarpels‘ the true carpels being reduced to the funiculus & integuments of the ovules. Rather an absurd view.— But what we want is something better to connect this free placenta of Primula with the marginal placentaln. of other angiospermous ovaries.
I shall call at the New Conservatory this P.M. for flowers of Edwardsiaf4
Ever Sincerely yours | D Oliver
Footnotes
- f1
- The letter is dated by the relationship between this letter, the letter to Daniel Oliver, 24–5 March [1863], and the letter from Daniel Oliver, [27 March 1863]; the intervening Thursday was 26 March 1863.
- f2
- See letter to Daniel Oliver, 24–5 March [1863].
- f3
- Caspary 1861. Oliver summarised the findings of this paper in the October 1863 number of the Natural History Review, noting its conclusion that `in Primula, the leaves, five in number, constituting the pistil, are pro-carpels, the true carpels being each reduced to funiculus and integuments of as many ovules’ (Natural History Review 3 (1863): 583).
- f4
- See letter to Daniel Oliver, 24–5 March [1863] and n. 5.