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Darwin Correspondence Project

To Daniel Oliver   24 April [1862]1

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. | S.E.

April. 24th

Dear Oliver.

Many thanks for Oxalis; of 38 flowers sent 24 are long-styled & 14 short-styled, just as in the flowers here; but whether this depends on mere useless variability or on useful dimorphism, I suspect experiment will alone show:2 I have got plants in pots for next spring.

I am quite aware the other æstival flower is a very much more curious case. I return 6d stamp which I suppose is a Kew affair.—

Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

Summary

Thanks for Oxalis. Only experimentation will show whether disproportion of long- to short-styled flowers is a functional dimorphism.

Case of aestival flowers is very curious.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-3516
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Daniel Oliver
Sent from
Down
Source of text
DAR 261.10: 47 (EH 88206030)
Physical description
ALS 2pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3516,” accessed on 29 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3516.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10

letter