RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1868.12.30. Viola nana from India from seed from John Scott. CUL-DAR111.A13. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 1.2023. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR108-111 contain material for Darwin's book Forms of flowers (1877).


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Dec 30 1868 Viola-nana from India from seed from John Scott — has flowered all summer & is now flowering, but very imperfect flowers & not one perfect flower.─ & seeded & seeds grown profusely.─

These consist of 5 sepals produced backwards round base of peduncle.─; sometimes reduced to 4 or 3 sepals!

5 exclusively minute scales representing of with purplish tips rudimentary & very irregular petals, of unequal length & one divided.─ I am not sure whether some of these were rudimentary stamen.─

2 (certainly only 2) stamens, with 2 distinct & somewhat distinct, very distinct spherical, prominent, anther-cells seated at base of large lancet-shaped membrane expansion. ─ most contain very little pollen. Anther became orange in older flowers [sketch] hollow beneath.

(Ovarium terminates in short flattened tube, a little bent over & close to anther ─ Thin tube seen absolutely open; in older flowers & withered, expand into slight circular membrane, which form a sort of stigma.─ The 2 perfect stamens face bent pistil, & ∴ no doubt are 2 upper stamens.─ There are rudiments unequally developed  ↘

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of 3 other anthers; generally very minute;─ one is often larger & in one specimen included single anther cell on one side with pollen.─ i think not above 20 or 25 grains of pollen in each cell ─ very delicate & transparent, emit tube whilst in cells.─

[in margin:] published as in edition

(N.B. Frank & I have now examined about 25 30 fl. out of them 5 had only 3 sepals, but in most case between them a partially coloured filamentary rudiment (much larger than ordinary rudiments) was developed, which from arising more inwards apparently represented one of a petals; in these flowers the minute rudiments were fewer in number ─ The reduced no' of sepals is not result of confluence of 2 sepals.─


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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

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