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Darwin Correspondence Project

From J. T. Moggridge   19 July [1864]

The Willows | Swansea

July 19th.

Dear Sir

thankyou very much for your kind letter received this morning: giving me most interesting news of the possible dimorphism of Trichonema, & of the Cowslip & Primrose as being distinct.1

I venture to offer my notes made upon Romulea Rollii; premising that when at Mentone I was yet ignorant of the wonderful uses of Dimorphism, & so may have overlooked some points of value—2

According to my observations this plant is in blow at 10.a-m, & completely withered by 2.p.m; but during that short time the stamens increase in height more rapidly than the Pistil, so that the stigma which was on first expansion above them, is at the bases of the Anthers when the flower closes—

I was especially led to notice the change of relative position, as the foreign Authors have considered that the height of the stigma with regard to that of the Anthers as a good specific distinction—

I enclose a scrap of paper on which is a dissection made from a flower of Romulea Rollii after closing

In my last letter I used the term Oxlip to express those plants which are neither Cowslips or Primroses but resemble both, & of which there are several on the mountains near Mentone.3 One of these is P. variabilis of Grenier & Godron—4

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

[Enclosure]

diagram

CD annotations

On cover: ‘(Nothing)’ red crayon

Footnotes

Primula variabilis (a synonym of P. acaulis subsp. acaulis ) is described in Grenier and Godron 1848–56, 2: 448–9.

Bibliography

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

Offers notes on Romulea rollii with sketch of a dissection.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-4570
From
John Traherne Moggridge
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Swansea
Postmark
JY 19 64
Source of text
DAR 110: A25a, A25b
Physical description
ALS 2pp † sketch

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4570,” accessed on 26 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4570.xml

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

letter