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From Hubert Airy   2 May 1876

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On his new paper for Royal Society on a point of leaf arrangement. Asks CD to communicate it and "gives some details of its contents", e.g., recorded observations of changing leaf-order on individual specimens.

Comments on a paper by George Henslow ["Helianthus tuberosus", Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 26 (1876): 647].

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  2 May 1876
Classmark:  DAR 159: 30
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-10490

From Hubert Airy   3 April 1871

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Comments on discussion of residual organs in Descent [ch. 1].

Describes his ability to contract the platysma myoides at will.

Suggests reason for loss of voluntary movement of ears in men and monkeys.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  3 Apr 1871
Classmark:  DAR 87: 37–8
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-7657

From Hubert Airy   9 December 1871

Summary

Reply to CD’s letter of 5 Apr 1871 [7659], in which he asked HA for further details on when and how platysma myoides contracts.

Replies to CD’s questions about sources on leaf arrangement.

Gives news of speech and paper about CD.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  9 Dec 1871
Classmark:  DAR 159: 13
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8101

From Hubert Airy   12 December 1871

Summary

Thanks for letter and reference to Nägeli’s observations on leaf arrangement in the bud.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  12 Dec 1871
Classmark:  DAR 159: 14
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8105

From Hubert Airy   31 May 1872

Summary

A review and criticism of Chauncey Wright’s paper on phyllotaxy [Mem. Am. Acad. Arts & Sci. n.s. 9 (1867–73): 379–415]. Does not believe that the "distributive" and "cyclical" properties, which CW claims characterise the existing spiral orders of leaf arrangement, can be shown to be advantageous to plants. CW’s speculations on the origins of the spiral arrangement of leaves are purely hypothetical.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  31 May 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 15
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8362

From Hubert Airy   7 June 1872

Summary

On leaf arrangement. [Badly damaged and almost illegible.]

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  7 June 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 15a
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8372

From Hubert Airy   [before 15] July 1872

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Outlines his theory on the origin of existing orders of leaf arrangement. Believes spiral and whorled orders have evolved from a primitive distichous arrangement. These arrangements permit a compact bud form of small surface area that can withstand external changes in temperature, and in particular can tolerate frost.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  [before 15] July 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 16
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8412

From Hubert Airy   16 July 1872

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Thanks CD for reading his MS [8412] and for his suggestions.

Clarifies his statement on the contraction of the bud-axis: did not mean to imply that this contraction occurred in an individual’s life-time, rather that it was the effect, after the course of ages, of successive favourable modifications.

Believes the true theory of phyllotaxy will give a convincing illustration and proof of the theory of evolution.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  16 July 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 17
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8414

From Hubert Airy   20 July 1872

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Discusses the significance of the node. Believes, with CD, that it has no independent importance but is merely the consequence of the presence of a leaf. Does not believe a distinction can be made between whorled and alternate leaf arrangements on the basis of the number of leaves springing from a node. The node, as the starting point of a leaf, is subject to any disarrangement which takes place among the leaves.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  20 July 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 18
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8418

From Hubert Airy   21 July 1872

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Corrects a factual error in his previous letter [8418].

Sends specimens illustrative of the "nodal" question.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  21 July 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 19
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8422

From Hubert Airy   24 July 1872

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Responds to CD’s comments on his MS on phyllotaxy.

The initial variation required by his theory would be a slight twist of the bud-axis; believes the frequent twisting of stems and branches renders such a variation possible.

Admits he placed too much emphasis on the importance of frost. He should have spoken more generally of "vicissitudes of climate".

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  24 July 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 20
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8426

From Hubert Airy   20 September 1872

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Disputes Thomas Meehan’s observations on the hardiness of exposed buds, and believes bud-scales are for the protection of the bud-leaves. Reiterates his opinion that the phyllotaxy of a plant is determined by causes acting when the leaves are crowded into close contact. Attempts to explain how a different phyllotaxy on the upper and lower parts of the same shoot could have arisen.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  20 Sept 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 21
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8527

From Hubert Airy   24 September 1872

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Thanks for letter, in which CD cited [Anton] Kerner’s alpine observations.

Describes with diagrams the curious disposition of leaves on some Acacia twigs, and points out that his theory should account for these anomalies as well as normal cases.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  24 Sept 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 22
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8532

From Hubert Airy   3 December 1872

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Discusses works lent him by CD: Candolle, Kerner, Braun, Sachs, and CD’s own notes on relative positions of leaves. Plans paper on subject for Royal Society.

Just appointed medical inspector under local government board.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  3 Dec 1872
Classmark:  DAR 159: 23
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8657

From Hubert Airy   3 January 1873

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HA’s paper on leaf arrangement is almost ready; asks CD to communicate it to the Royal Society. Seeks permission to quote from CD’s notes.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  3 Jan 1873
Classmark:  DAR 159: 24
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8720

From Hubert Airy   21 January 1873

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Has sent phyllotaxy paper to G. G. Stokes with the letter from CD to show credentials.

Will not have time to read new Sachs edition CD offered.

Thanks for CD’s sponsorship of paper [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 21 (1873): 176–9].

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  21 Jan 1873
Classmark:  DAR 159: 25
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8745

From Hubert Airy   17 March 1873

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Thanks for congratulations on appearance of abstract of HA’s paper [Nature 7 (1873): 343–4].

Explains again his theory of "contraction with twist" by which compact buds and a spiral phyllotaxy have evolved. Explains how the peculiar phyllotaxy of the teasel is explicable by this process of "condensation".

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  17 Mar 1873
Classmark:  DAR 159: 26
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-8812

From Hubert Airy   26 [September–November 1873]

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The Royal Society referees have rejected HA’s phyllotaxy paper, and it will not be printed in Philosophical Transactions. HA is not sorry for he has found new facts which limit the applicability of his views. Now believes that the original leaf arrangement was not necessarily always two-ranked but rather that existing arrangements have developed from a variety of forms with differing numbers of leaf-ranks.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  26 [Sept-Nov] 1873
Classmark:  DAR 159: 31
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-9073

From Hubert Airy   7 December 1873

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Illustrates, with reference to different species of Gasteria, the role of twisting in the development of leaf arrangement.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  7 Dec 1873
Classmark:  DAR 159: 27
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-9175

From Hubert Airy   8 January 1874

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W. J. Beal’s paper ["Phyllotaxis of cones", Am. Nat. 7 (1873): 449–53] shows incompleteness of HA’s theory, but does not invalidate his basic principles on origin of leaf arrangement or the broad applicability of the theory.

Author:  Hubert Airy
Addressee:  Charles Robert Darwin
Date:  8 Jan 1874
Classmark:  DAR 159: 28
Letter no:  DCP-LETT-9232
Document type
letter (21)
Author
Addressee
Darwin, C. R.disabled_by_default
Correspondent
Date
1871 (3)
1872 (10)
1873 (5)
1874 (2)
1876 (1)
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