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Darwin Correspondence Project

From J. T. Moggridge   15 July [1864]1

The Willows | Swansea

July 15.

Dear Sir

I consider myself very fortunate in being able to send seed of a Trichonema growing at Mentone, but it was indiscriminately gathered—2

I enclose 1 bulb with dried leaves & flower attached of this rare plant, with seed— It was named by Parlatore,3 Romulea Rollii. The other packet contains some of its seed also, but there may be mixed with it seed of Trichonema bulbicodium, as this was collected at a different time, by a a different hand.

I shall be only too delighted to have the occupation of getting the bulbs & seeds you require, when I (D.V.) return to Mentone. but do not feel quite sure what I am to understand by the expression “different individual groups— Is it that you want them taken from varied situations & exposures?— or do you refer to groups into which the genus may have been divided?

There is but one habitat known at Mentone for Romulea Rollii, where on a small damp flat near the beach it tangles in with coarse grass, growing in great profusion—

The other representative Romulea or Trichonema bulbicodium is found near the shore in 3 or 4 localities, often near streams.—

I moreover take the liberty of enclosing specimens shewing the two forms in Primula marginata, on which I have lately been at work.4 Primula latifolia is also dimorphic, but less markedly so.— It is a curious fact that at Mentone the Primrose grows on the shore & less frequently high up, but Oxlips & Cowslips are only to be found at elevations of from 2800 to 3600 feet; thus becoming, or being, of distinct geographical range.

Pray excuse my lengthened letter: & hoping that you will not think of troubling to write thanks which I take for granted

believe me | yrs. very sincerely | J. Traherne. Moggridge.

CD annotations

1.1 I consider … streams.— 5.2] crossed, red crayon
6.1 I moreover … markedly so.— 6.3] scored, red crayon
6.3 It is … granted 7.2] crossed, red crayon

Footnotes

The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from George Bentham, 10 July 1864 (see n. 2, below).
In his letter of 10 July 1864, Bentham suggested that CD write to someone in a Mediterranean country for specimens of Trichonema. CD evidently sent a request to Moggridge, who spent part of the year in Mentone, on the southern coast of France (Freeman 1978, p. 206). The letter to Moggridge has not been found.
Filippo Parlatore. Romulea is a synomym of Trichonema (Willis 1973).
CD said that there was ‘hardly any doubt’ in his mind that Primula marginata (silver-edged primrose), along with some other Primula species, was dimorphic, in ‘Dimorphic condition in Primula, p. 81 (Collected papers 2: 48). Moggridge was working on the flora of Mentone. He quoted from CD’s paper in his own description of Primula marginata in Contributions to the flora of Mentone (Moggridge 1865–8, pl. 11).

Bibliography

Collected papers: The collected papers of Charles Darwin. Edited by Paul H. Barrett. 2 vols. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. 1977.

‘Dimorphic condition in Primula’: On the two forms, or dimorphic condition, in the species of Primula, and on their remarkable sexual relations. By Charles Darwin. [Read 21 November 1861.] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (Botany) 6 (1862): 77–96. [Collected papers 2: 45–63.]

Freeman, Richard Broke. 1978. Charles Darwin: a companion. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.

Willis, John Christopher. 1973. A dictionary of the flowering plants and ferns. 8th edition. Revised by H. K. Airy Shaw. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Summary

Sends seeds of Trichonema and bulb and leaves of Romulea rollii, plus specimens showing two forms of Primula marginata.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-4567
From
John Traherne Moggridge
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Swansea
Source of text
DAR 110: A29–30
Physical description
ALS 3pp †

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4567,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4567.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 12

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