RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1861].03.23. Sketch of the dimorphic flowers of the primrose. Bonhams-11388Lot83. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 11.2022. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here.
This manuscript (202 x 165mm) was originally an enclosure with Darwin's 23 March [1861] letter to Daniel Oliver, botanist in the herbarium and librarian of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. See the letter and important editorial notes in Correspondence vol. 9 andvol. 13, supplement pp. 440ff, where the text of this enclosure was added. Walter Hood Fitch was a botanical illustrator who often worked for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Darwin presented the paper to the Linnean Society on 21 November 1861. It was Darwin's first published study of dimorphism. The woodcuts by Fitch were published in 'Dimorphic condition in Primula', p. 78 and in Forms of flowers, p. 15.
Provenance: Christie's 6064, Lot 30, 11 November 1998, sold for £8,625. Bonhams 11388, Lot 83, 15 July 2004, sold for £7,170.
[1]
Short stamen or pin-headed
Long-stamened
Make difference in shape of tube of corolla . .
Points to be attended to: relative heights of pistil & stamens — of corolla & calyx; & of the enlargement of corolla, where anthers are situated.
Primrose
(Longitudinal Section of (Common Primrose) — Clean, hard outlines for 2 woodcuts, matching in size & to stand close near alongside each other.
Corolla & calyx of same length in the two
[verso blank]
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 18 October, 2023