To Roland Trimen 25 November 1864
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
Nov 25, 1864.
My dear Sir
Your paper arrived quite safe.1 I have read it with much interest, for I have long thought the Bonatea one of the most curious orchids in the world.2 Asa Gray has described in an American Habenaria a nearly similar contrivance with respect to the nectary as yours.3 I have sent your paper to Linn. Soc. & I hope it may be printed, but that of course I cannot say & it may be influenced by cost of engraving.4
With respect to the Satyrium I shd think that the pollen masses which you sent had been scraped off the head of some insect by the insect itself; I do not refer to the additional pollen-masses which you saw growing in their cases.5
Most of the Oxalis’ which you so kindly sent me flowered, but all with 2 exceptions presented one form alone.6 From what I know about Primula, I shd be astonished at the same bulb ever producing 2 forms. In the 2 exceptional cases, one bulb in each lot produced a distinct form; but I have very little doubt there ought to be 3 forms. I got some seed from one of the unions & have some feeble hopes that they may germinate.
If I have strength (for I keep weak) I shd like to make out oxalis, so if you have any opportunity I should still be very glad of seed.
Many thanks about Strelitzia Would it be possible to get a plant of the kind that seeds, protected from the sugarbirds, with another plant unprotected near by?7 I am tired, & so will write no more.
With many thanks pray believe me | yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Collected papers: The collected papers of Charles Darwin. Edited by Paul H. Barrett. 2 vols. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. 1977.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Cross and self fertilisation: The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1876.
‘Fertilization of orchids’: Notes on the fertilization of orchids. By Charles Darwin. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 4th ser. 4 (1869): 141–59. [Collected papers 2: 138–56.]
Orchids 2d ed.: The various contrivances by which orchids are fertilised by insects. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition, revised. London: John Murray. 1877.
Orchids: On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1862.
Oxford dictionary of natural history: The Oxford dictionary of natural history. Edited by Michael Allaby. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1985.
Trimen, Roland. 1864. On the structure of Bonatea speciosa, Linn. sp., with reference to its fertilisation. [Read 1 December 1864.] Journal of the Linnean Society (Botany) 9 (1867): 156–60.
Summary
Has forwarded RT’s paper on Bonatea to the Linnean Society [J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Bot.) 9 (1865): 156–60].
The Oxalis sent by RT flowered but CD has made out only two forms; he thinks there ought to be three, so would welcome more seed.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4680
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Roland Trimen
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Royal Entomological Society (Trimen papers, box 21: 60)
- Physical description
- LS(A) 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4680,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4680.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 12
