From E. M. Holmes 23 October 1877
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
Footnotes
Summary
Sends seeds of plants for CD to elucidate floral anatomy.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11203
- From
- Edward Morell Holmes
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Pharm. Soc. G.B.
- Source of text
- DAR 166: 255
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp damaged
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11203,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11203.xml