From Arthur Rawson 1 April [1863]1
Bromley Common
April 1
Dear Mr. Darwin
I send you a little novelty in (what I suppose the literati call) morphology. I never observed a similar case. In the truss of primula accompanying this you will see that the crown flower though having only one corolla has two (apparently) perfect pistils and set of stamens. I don’t know whether this may be a novelty to you, but it is to me.2
I ought to have written to you about the Gladiolus experiment, which I carried out strictly according to yr. letter,3 and wh answered exactly as you expected, and according to my previous experience. The pollen of the same variety is not potent on itself, even when taken from one plant and applied to flowers on another.4
I have Ophrys aranifera in bloom, and shall soon have a good pot of Cypripedium pubescens— I shall be glad to loan them to you if you want to make any experiments.5 I have just been reading your “orchis” book with great interest.6
Ys. very truly | A Rawson
Since writing the above, I have thought you may not be at home. The primula will be in bloom for some days. Will you send me a line if you wish to see it
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Freeman, Richard Broke. 1977. The works of Charles Darwin: an annotated bibliographical handlist. 2d edition. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.
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.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Conducted crosses on Gladiolus varieties exactly according to CD’s letter. Flowers of same variety are self-sterile, whether from the same plant or not.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4072
- From
- Arthur Rawson
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Bromley Common
- Source of text
- DAR 176: 22
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4072,” accessed on 19 May 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4072.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11