RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1877. [Letter to Thomas Brittain, 1874]. Apocynum androsæmifolium. Hardwicke's Science-Gossip 13, no. 147 (March): 68.
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 7.2022. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Freeman Bibliographical Database, enter its Identifier here.
Thomas Brittain (1806-1884), a naturalist and accountant, later sent Darwin's complete letter to the Manchester City News (24 June 1882) from whence it was republished in Correspondence vol. 24 where it is noted: "See letter from Thomas Brittain. 30 November 1876. Apocynum androsaemifohum (fly-trap dogbane) traps small flies and moths by their tongues in the flower's V-shaped nectaries. Their proper pollinators, long-tongued butterflies, are able to avoid the trap." The full text from the Manchester City News:
"THE DOWNS, BECKENHAM (Kent). December 1, 1876. Dear sir,— I am much obliged to you for calling my attention to the very curious case of the Apocynum. I am quite unable to understand the meaning of this trap-like arrangement. I do not believe that it is of any benefit to the plant, and certainly it is none to the unfortunate insects. I have at present a plant in my hot-house, and if it flowers I shall attempt to solve the problem. I may mention that a well-known naturalist in Brazil, Fritz Müller, has been hitherto baffled in trying to understand this plant.— Dear sir, yours faithfully, CH. DARWIN."
Brittain later wrote to Francis Darwin on 5 July 1882 and enclosed a copy of the letter in the Manchester City News. Brittain's letter is transcribed in Darwin Online CUL-DAR198.28.
There were four replies to this item in subsequent issues of Hardwicke's Science-Gossip. The letter was reprinted in Manchester City News, 24 June 1882 (F3461) but including Darwin's (mis-copied) address and date "The Downs, Beckenham (Kent). / December 1, 1876.", "Dear sir—" and valediction "Dear sir, yours faithfully | CH. DARWIN." It is therefore not copied from Hardwicke's Science-Gossip. The latter was reproduced in Correspondence vol. 24, p. 362.
APOCYNUM ANDROSÆMIFOLIUM.— Mr. T. Brittain, who communicated the fact of this plant probably being "carnivorous," has forwarded to us the following copy of a letter from Mr. Charles Darwin on the subject:—1 "I am much obliged to you for calling my attention to the very curious case of the Apocynum. I am quite unable to understand the meaning of this trap-like arrangement. I do not believe that it is of any benefit to the plant, and certainly it is none to the unfortunate insects. I have at present a plant in my hot-house, and if it flowers I shall attempt to solve the problem. I may mention that a well-known naturalist in Brazil, Fritz Müller, has been hitherto baffled in trying to understand this plant."
1 Brittain had written about Apocynum androsæmifolium in Hardwicke's Science-Gossip 13 (January): 18. On p. 72 Brittain sought exchange for insectivorous plants and gave his address as 8, York-street, Manchester.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 28 November, 2022