From Hugh Algernon Weddell 13 May 1863
Poitiers
May 13th. 1863
Dear Sir,
When your letter reached me I was suffering from a slight attack of congestion of the brain and was not able, on that account, to attend immediately to your request;1 indeed it was only the day before yesterday that I was able to set out in search of your Ophrys, but regret now to say that it was in vain. O apifera has always been a rare plant in this neighbourhood, but this year more so, it appears, than usual, as not a single individual was to be found. If at any future period I am more lucky, I shall not fail to observe a sufficient number of them as respects their manner of fertilisation and make you acquainted with the results. Indeed I should have done it long since on my own account, had opportunity offered, for I was much struck by the difference of arrangement of pollinia in O. apifera & O. arachnites, when I read your able dissertation on the subject in the work you were so kind as to send me.2
Let me now thank you for your paper on “two forms in Linum”.3 This was quite new to me; but we are becoming acquainted with so many cases of this kind, that I have no doubt many others will still present themselves. You may have seen what I have said on different genera of Rubiaceæ where dimorphism of this class is observable (Hist. nat. Quinq., pp. 21, 80 & 82; tab. 3 bis, 22 & 23)4 I do not, at this moment, call to mind, any other of a remarkable kind, except in Valerianæ, cases of which I have figured in the 2 vol. of my flora of the Andes.5 Many of the so said polygamous flowers in this genus, come, I suspect, under this head. A singular case of an hermaphrodite flower in which fecundation does not take place by the agency of its own stamens is met with in Cynomorium. This you will see a mention of in my paper on this plant, a copy of which I had the pleasure of forwarding to you through Baillière some time ago.—6
I remain, my dear Sir, Your’s very sincerely | H A Weddell.
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
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.
Post Office London directory: Post-Office annual directory. … A list of the principal merchants, traders of eminence, &c. in the cities of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark, and parts adjacent … general and special information relating to the Post Office. Post Office London directory. London: His Majesty’s Postmaster-General [and others]. 1802–1967.
‘Two forms in species of Linum’: On the existence of two forms, and on their reciprocal sexual relation, in several species of the genus Linum. By Charles Darwin. [Read 5 February 1863.] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (Botany) 7 (1864): 69–83. [Collected papers 2: 93–105.]
Weddell, Hugh Algernon. 1849. Histoire naturelle des quinquinas ou monographie du genre Cinchonasuivie d’une description du genre Cascarillaet de quelques autres plantes de la même tribu. Paris: V. Masson.
Weddell, Hugh Algernon. 1855–7. Chloris Andina. Essai d’une flore de la région alpine des Cordillères de l’Amérique du Sud. 2 vols. Pt 6 of Expédition dans les parties centrales de l’Amérique du Sud … exécutée par ordre du gouvernment français pendant les années 1843 a 1847, sous la direction de Comte Francis de Castelnau. 7 pts in 13 vols. Paris: P. Betrand. 1850–7.
Weddell, Hugh Algernon. 1860. Mémoire sur le Cynomorium coccineum parasite de l’ordre des Balanophorées. Archives de Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle 10 (1858–61): 269–308.
Summary
Has searched in vain for the Ophrys apifera CD asked for.
Thanks CD for paper on Linum [Collected papers 2: 93–105].
Calls CD’s attention to his observations on Rubiaceae.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4161
- From
- Hugh Algernon Weddell
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Poitiers
- Source of text
- DAR 110: B60–1
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4161,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4161.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11