From Fritz Müller1 [2 November 1866]2
I alluded in one of my letters to the sterility of Eschscholtzia and some other plants, when fertilized with pollen from the same individual plant.3 I have at present in my garden one old large plant of Eschscholtzia, which for about six weeks is producing a large number of flowers, (just now I had them counted by my children, who tell me, there are to day 103), without yielding a single seed capsule. The stigmas of all the flowers, I examined, were covered with pollen-grains, which emitted their tubes; but never the tubes appeared to enter deeply the tissue of the stigmas.— Yesterday expanded the first flower of the present year’s seedlings; I fertilized with its pollen two of the old plants flowers, and the seedlings flower with the old plants pollen, and now (24 hours after fertilization) I see, that the stigmas of these three crossed flowers behave very differently from those of all others; the stigmas of the latter (A) are diverging in a more or less horizontal direction, those ⟨of the f⟩ormer (B) have become erected, ⟨4 or 5 words missing⟩ ⟨ ⟩ered.—
I fertilized also numerous ⟨4 or 5 words missing⟩ with pollinia from the same ⟨4 or 5 words missing⟩ a single seed-capsule. On the ⟨3 or 4 words missing⟩ ⟨fer⟩tilized with the very same flowers pollinia is yielding a seed-capsule.
During the last month I have been very fortunate in enlarging the list of our dimorphic plants,—adding once in half an hour four new species (Cordia, Oxalis, Hedyotis Villarsia).
But before passing to the new species, allow me some more remarks on the dimorphic Oxalis, of which I told you in my last letter.4 How could this species by natural selection arrive to the extremely miserable estate of its male reproductive system, the anthers of one form being in most cases perfectly steril, while those of the other form also contain much aborted pollen? Perhaps the question might be answered in the following way: The plant producing an uncommonly large number of bulbilli, natural selection might have been less severe regarding the sexual reproduction. The anthers of the one form, one set of which equals in length the pistils, might have been rendered steril by natural selection, to prevent self-fertilization. (Thus, for instance, in some Malpighiaceae those anthers, which would be able to fertilize without the intervention of insects, the own flowers stigmas, have become barren).5 Lastly the partial barrenness of the anthers of the other form might have been inherited from the form with barren anthers. I feel not quite sure, whether this answer will do.— At all events the plant will offer far more difficulty to those who look at species as perfect productions of a supreme intelligence.
Now to the recently found dimorphic plants of our flora. ⟨diagram excised⟩
1, a second of Cordia.6
2, a frutescent Oxalis (alread⟨y⟩ alluded to in my last letter).7 The species is probably trimorphic. I observed but two plants, growing close together, one being long-styled and the other short-styled, both yielding plenty of seed-capsules.
[DIAG HERE (actually specimens). Headed ‘Frutescent Oxalis’, with ‘short-styled’ and ‘long-styled’ below 4 and 2 pressed-flowers respectively.]
3, a Plumbago, from the continent. I saw but two plants, from which I brought home about half a dozen of long-styled and as many short-styled ears. These continued to yield fresh flowers for about a week. The length of the styli of the long- styled form ⟨4 or 5 words missing⟩ ⟨v⟩ariable, while in the short-sty⟨led⟩ ⟨4 or 5 words missing⟩ ⟨s⟩tigmas & each is rather variable. ⟨4 or 5 words missing⟩ ⟨s⟩ame level with the anthers; but ⟨4 or 5 words missing⟩ ⟨rea⟩ch even to their bases, while in other cases they project beyond the anthers, but never so far as the stigmas of the long-styled flowers do. There is no difficulty in distinguishing the two forms. I may add, that a Plumbago with pale-blue flowers is frequently to be met with in the gardens of Desterro; this is always pro⟨pag⟩ated by cuttings and never seeds here (as far as ⟨three quarters of page missing⟩
6, a small Hedyotis. The pollen-grains are larger in the short-styled form.8 ⟨diagram excised⟩
Villarsia is, as you know, an aquatic plant; the Hedyotis grows in wet sand near the edge of small fresh-water pools.9 Both the dimorphic and trimorphic Oxalis are preferring humid places, whereas our monomorphic Oxalis is to be found even in so dry and barren places as the fissures of a naked rock. All this confirms the view, you suggested, of aquatic and marsh-plants being more liable, than others, to dimorphism.10
⟨three quarters of page missing⟩
Als ich heute einen Franzosen, Herrn Hippolyte Gautier, besuchte, der Orchideen zum Verkauf sammelt, sah ich in seinem Garten eine schöne blaue Ipomoea.11 Er erzählte mir, er habe eine einzige Pflanze gezogen aus Samenkörnern, die er aus den nördlichen Provinzen Brasiliens erhalten hätte; diese Pflanze blühte einige Jahre schon sehr reichlich und brachte Blumen in grosser Zahl fast das ganze Jahr hindurch, ohne jedoch Samenkapseln zu liefern. Ich dachte natürlich, die Pflanze möchte dimorph sein, und fand bei Untersuchung der Blumen, dass der Griffel weit über die Ebene der Staubgefässe hinausragte.12 Wir haben hier, auf dem Festlande, eine nahe verwandte Art, welche ich vielleicht nächsten Monat untersuchen kann.
Bei der Untersuchung der dimorphen Blumen unseres gemeinen Erythroxylon (“Fruta de pomba”) war ich überrascht von der Verschiedenheit, welche ein kurzgriffliger Baum in den einzelnen Blüthentheilen darbot.13
Unter 253 Blumen dieses Baumes hatten:
5 sepala, 5 petala, 10 stamina, 3 styli, 192 Blumen 5 " 6 " 10 " 3 " 1 " 1) 6 " 6 " 10 " 3 " 3 " 6 " 6 " 11 " 3 " 3 " 6 " 6 " 12 " 3 " 20 " 6 " 6 " 12 " 3–4 " 1 " 2) 6 " 6 " 12 " 4 " 25 " 6 " 7 " 12 " 3 " 1 " 6 " 7 " 13 " 4 " 1 " 6 " 7 " 14 " 3 " 1 " 7 " 7 " 12 " 3 " 1 " 7 " 7 " 12 " 4 " 1 " 7 " 7 " 14 " 3 " 1 " 7 " 7 " 14 " 3–4 " 1 " 2) 7 " 7 " 14 " 4 " 2 " 1) Eines der sepala war an der Spitze gekerbt. 2) Einer der drei styli war doppelt so dick als jeder der beiden andern und mit einem zweilappigen stigma versehen.
Von den Blumen mit vier Griffeln hatten zehn zwei Ovula. Unter zahlreichen Blumen von anderen kurz- und langgriffligen Bäumen fand ich nur eine einzige kurzgrifflige mit sechs Kelch-, sechs Blumenblättern, zehn Staubfäden und drei Griffeln und eine langgrifflige mit 4 Kelch-, 4 Kronenblättern, 8 Staubgefässen, 4 Griffeln und keinem Ovulum.
Aber ich fürchte, Ihre Geduld schon erschöpft zu haben und will schliessen und einen Fall von merkwürdiger Veränderlichkeit des Kelches, den ich bei einer Hillia beobachtete, für einen andren Brief versparen.14
Erlauben Sie, dass ich Ihnen noch einmal herzlich für Ihren freundlichen Brief und die “Origin” danke,15 und glauben Sie, dass ich, werther Herr, mit aufrichtiger Hochachtung treulichst der Ihrige bin | Fritz Müller.
P. S. Habe ich Ihnen schon mitgetheilt, dass ich einen unterirdischen Käfer fand, dem die Tarsen an allen Füssen fehlen?
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–.
Cross and self fertilisation: The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1876.
Forms of flowers: The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1877.
Lindley, John. 1853. The vegetable kingdom; or, the structure, classification, and uses of plants, illustrated upon the natural system. 3d edition with corrections and additional genera. London: Bradbury & Evans.
Mabberley, David J. 1997. The plant-book. A portable dictionary of the vascular plants. 2d edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
OED: The Oxford English dictionary. Being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement and bibliography of a new English dictionary. Edited by James A. H. Murray, et al. 12 vols. and supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1970. A supplement to the Oxford English dictionary. 4 vols. Edited by R. W. Burchfield. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1972–86. The Oxford English dictionary. 2d edition. 20 vols. Prepared by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1989. Oxford English dictionary additional series. 3 vols. Edited by John Simpson et al. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993–7.
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
Translation
From Fritz Müller1 [2 November 1866]2
Today, when I visited a Frenchman, Mr Hippolyte Gautier, who collects orchids for sale, I saw a beautiful blue Ipomoea in his garden.3 He told me he had raised a single plant from seed that he had received from the northern provinces of Brazil; this plant had already flowered for some years, very abundantly, and had large numbers of blooms throughout the year, without, however, producing seed capsules. I naturally thought the plant could be dimorphic, and found, upon investigation of the flowers, that the style projected far above the stamens.4 We have here on the mainland a closely related species which I can probably examine next month.
While investigating the dimorphic flowers of our common Erythroxylon (“Fruta de pomba”) I was amazed by the variation presented in every flower part in a short-styled tree.5
Out of 253 flowers on this tree there were:
5 sepala, 5 petala, 10 stamina, 3 styli, 192 flowers 5 " 6 " 10 " 3 " 1 " 1) 6 " 6 " 10 " 3 " 3 " 6 " 6 " 11 " 3 " 3 " 6 " 6 " 12 " 3 " 20 " 6 " 6 " 12 " 3–4 " 1 " 2) 6 " 6 " 12 " 4 " 25 " 6 " 7 " 12 " 3 " 1 " 6 " 7 " 13 " 4 " 1 " 6 " 7 " 14 " 3 " 1 " 7 " 7 " 12 " 3 " 1 " 7 " 7 " 12 " 4 " 1 " 7 " 7 " 14 " 3 " 1 " 7 " 7 " 14 " 3–4 " 1 " 2) 7 " 7 " 14 " 4 " 2 " 1) A few of the sepala were notched at the tip. 2) One of the three styli was twice as thick as each of the other two and had a bilobed stigma.
Of the flowers with four styles, ten had two ovula. Among numerous flowers of other short- and long-styled trees I found only a single short-styled with six sepals, six petals, ten filaments, and three styles, and one long-styled with 4 sepals, 4 petals, 8 stamens, 4 styles and no ovulum.
But I am afraid I’ve exhausted your patience and will close, and I will save for another letter a case of remarkable variability of the calyx that I observed in a Hillia.6
Allow me to give you my heartfelt thanks once again for your friendly letter and the “Origin”,7 and believe me, I am, dear sir, with sincere respect, very truly yours | Fritz Müller
P. S. Have I already told you that I found an underground beetle whose tarsi lacked any feet?
Footnotes
Bibliography
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.
Forms of flowers: The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1877.
Lindley, John. 1853. The vegetable kingdom; or, the structure, classification, and uses of plants, illustrated upon the natural system. 3d edition with corrections and additional genera. London: Bradbury & Evans.
Mabberley, David J. 1997. The plant-book. A portable dictionary of the vascular plants. 2d edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
OED: The Oxford English dictionary. Being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement and bibliography of a new English dictionary. Edited by James A. H. Murray, et al. 12 vols. and supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1970. A supplement to the Oxford English dictionary. 4 vols. Edited by R. W. Burchfield. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1972–86. The Oxford English dictionary. 2d edition. 20 vols. Prepared by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1989. Oxford English dictionary additional series. 3 vols. Edited by John Simpson et al. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993–7.
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
Summary
Sends his observations on sterility of Eschscholzia,
on Oxalis,
and on recently found dimorphic plants.
Sends specimen of Hedyotis [see Forms of flowers, p. 133].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5264
- From
- Johann Friedrich Theodor (Fritz) Müller
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- unstated
- Source of text
- DAR 111: B59, DAR 142: 100, 101, 105, Möller ed. 1915–21, 2: 93–4
- Physical description
- AL inc † cov
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5264,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5264.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 14
