My dear Sir.

It is very atrocious of me to trouble you espec^ly. that I gather from D^r. Hooker that he thinks you may be unwell.¹ But you must not on any acct. reply to me until it is perfectly convenient. Surely you were observing Fumariaceæ some time ago.² Now I wonder however if (the flower of Fumar^ae.) can be fertilized by foreign pollen. By other than the pollen of its own stamens. Many other plants might be named in same cate⁠⟨⁠gory⁠⟩⁠

⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ common one & I saw a few days ago that the insects had bored a hole at x thus getting at the nectar without disturbing the anthers which instead fit very closely under the stigma x x x

They wished me to notice your case of Primula dimorphism in Nat. Hist. Review & I thought of giving a short acct. of some cases of the phenomenon so far as we know anything ab^t. it,—as in Viola, Oxalis, &c.—³ And the case of such plants as the Corydalis, &c. occurred to me apropos of the thing.— I was showing D^r. Hooker & M^r. Lubbock the 2 forms of Primrose the other day which confirmed the admirable accuracy of yr. obs. upon them⁴   Besides the differences in pollen, stigma, &c.—you might notice (perhaps indeed you say so, but I do not recollect it) that the ovules of the long-styled are considerably larger (& prob^ly. less numerous) in the bud than in the short-styled plant even when expanded.—⁵

I have made within the last few days a rather interesting obs. on dimorphous Campanula. I wished to allude to the case of the order (mentioned by Hooker & Thomson. Journ. Linn Soc. ii. p. 7⁶ & previously by Linnæus in Praelectiones (of C. perfoliata))⁷—& examined some of the smaller flowers. I find them thus,—

No Corolla, no apparent stamens No—style or stigma,—but with ovary & numerous ovules.

x is a hairy mammilla sticking slightly up in middle of disk   Dissecting further I found the disc membrane double in the middle the interspace enclosing a stigma-like body:—thus—

In the minute flowers,—(size of coriandras to pea), it was at first difficult to understand, but I now find that the stigma-like body enclosed by imperforate membrane—is both stigma & anthers. Looking down upon it after dissecting away upper membrane I find it, in the large flowers 5-lobed—with slender rays from the tips of the lobes to base of each calyx-lobe thus— the ends of the rays are attached.— Further examining & comparison shows satisf^ly. that there are stamens closely connate over a stigmatic body. In flowers of larger size,—approaching normal conditions—I find the stigma raised in short style (it is rather long normally) & the membrane (which represents the corolla) ruptured—or rather not closed over it.— Now I have not means at hand to ascertain certainly just now but do not doubt but that the small flowers do perfect seed, tho’ the ‘flowering’ takes place (one w^d. think) where ‘crossing’ was out of the question. I thought of giving a little drawing or two of it to Linn: Soc. as I can make time before my lectures,—calling attention to it.—⁸

By the way I think I c^d. get you some Primula farinosa this season if it w^d. be useful to you.— If you w^d. care in the least for it,—if you’d kindly spare me a duplicate of your Primula paper I w^d. lend it to a person (whom I do not know personally) living very near heaps of the plant, & dont doubt he w^d. try to send a box.—⁹

Yours very Sincerely | D^l. Oliver