[A25]

Sept 8. 62. Scabiosa succina from Eliz Wedgwood.

The different heads present pistils of very different length; but I cannot make out that stamens are longer in those with short pistils.

In other heads the stamens are much shorter & in some of them the anther are aborted; & do not project beyond flower but the latter do not seem to have longer pistil.

Good case showing how dimorphism might arise & case like Thymes.—

Sept 16 Eliz sent me 20 heads; none of them had the abortive or semi-aborted short stamens; & I am now convinced that much of inequality of length of pistil is due to age, for as soon as most of anthers have opened, the pistil lengthens; but still I think some heads have naturally longer pistils; in the shorter & longer pistils, I could distinguish no difference in size of pollen.—