From P. H. Gosse 13 July 1863
Sandhurst. Torquay
July 13. 1863.
My dear Sir
I had not forgotten your former request about Ophrys apif.1 & having little time for searching, myself, I had put my young son into the service, who in his walks has collected me a few specimens.2 The results are as follows:—
Of 16 plants, 32 flowers were open: of these No. 1, with two fl. had the lower flower with one pollinium attached to stigma, the other poll. quite removed:—the upper flower had both poll. removed, but several of the cuneate pollen-masses were adherent to stigma. No trace of slugs or of gnawing visible on the plant.
No. 2, one fl. open; both pollinia removed, & no trace left. Upper sepal slightly gnawed: no trace of slugs.
No. 3— two fl. open, of which one had one pollinium removed: the other adherent to stigma
Thus out of the 32 flowers, two had lost both pollinia, & two had lost one each.3
I know not whether an experiment I tried has any value; it was to see if the wind were an agent in making the poll. come into contact with the stigma. Pollinia just escaped from anther cells, & still hanging unattached, I blew with my breath fitfully & strongly & in various directions; after many efforts I caused the poll. thus to adhere; & that in several instances.4
This is all I have been able to do in response to your first request.
On Saturday, after receiving your favour,5 I immediately went down to Petit Tor, where on former occasions we have found the Bee Ophrys; & spent some time in searching; but perhaps from the flowering being nearly over, & so the plants being inconspicuous in the rank herbage,—I could find but two plants. Each of these had one well-swollen ovary, & one recently opened flower— In each case the former showed both poll. adherent to stigma; the latter had the poll. still in the anther cells.
I will, however, pursue the search further; seeking plants in the slopes you mention, & other known habitats.
Will you be so good as to tell me whether you have a good collection of Orchids, & whether you have much in flower just now.
Believe me, dear Sir | Yours very truly | P. H. Gosse
Ch. Darwin Esqe
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
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.
Summary
On CD’s request to observe bee Ophrys: PHG’s son collected 16 plants – of the 32 flowers, two had lost both pollinia, two had lost one each. He himself found two plants with pollinia adhering to the stigma.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4240
- From
- Philip Henry Gosse
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Torquay
- Source of text
- DAR 165: 78
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4240,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4240.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11