From George Dickie 1 December 1856
Belfast
Decr. 1st | 1856
Dear Sir,
I have much pleasure in stating my own observations on Subularia.1 A few miles W from Aberdeen—my native place—it is abundant, & I have repeatedly, year after year, visited the locality with my students.
I always found it submerged, but never in deep water; generally round the edges of the Loch.
We generally found flower buds, but never saw them expanded. On being opened I have often found fully developed Anthers &c, and have never failed to get ripe seeds in August & September.2
Koch may have seen the plant growing and flowering in the air, I can only state my own experience as to it’s habits. The question can be settled by cultivation & careful regulation of the supply of water. I generally visit Aberdeen every summer & should feel glad to send you a supply of living plants by post. I believe we have similar habits in the Elatines, one of which I have often gathered, growing as it does at Aberdeen in company with Subularia.
faithfully yours | G Dickie
P.S. I shall always be glad to reply to any similar communications | GD.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Natural selection: Charles Darwin’s Natural selection: being the second part of his big species book written from 1856 to 1858. Edited by R. C. Stauffer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1975.
Summary
His observations on Subularia: has never seen it in flower in the air.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2009
- From
- George Dickie
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Belfast
- Source of text
- DAR 207: 16
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2009,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2009.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 6