RECORD: Darwin, C. R. n.d. Describe Bean externally & internally. CUL-DAR207.1. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 3.2022. 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.

Darwin cited this in Cross and self fertilisation, p. 403.


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[Archivist note:] Box C. 41G (G)

Scrap on Nectary on Bean seed.

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Pha. vulgaris ficus 9 in:6 –

Describe Bean externally & internally - & function relative size at different ages – nearest case of extra-floral nectary is in cotyledon of [Rist…] [insertion:] [illeg] – compare with Ruike

(But one chief interest in case is that Delpino Herman Müller (?) & others maintain that every floral & extra-floral nectary has been developed for special purpose – to attract insects for fertilisation or to keep ants from flowers or from leaves – F (Frank) advanced case if fern, but Fritz Müller's answer & such an answer cd be given to every case as yet recorded. Here in Kidneybean can have instance when can be of no case. – My father from case of Honey-dew manna &c & from the light the hypothesis throws on first origin of floral & extra-floral nectaries, maintained that under certain unknown conditions & at certain stages of growth sugar, though so precious a substance, formed was all in excess & had to be excreted; & this gives the foundation from which its development in greater quantity when beneficial could be gained.

M. Bonnier maintains that water is

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often transpired through stomata or through epidermis rendered specially thin, & that nectaries of all kinds consist of much spots, when sugar happened to be found & is then accidentally washed out. If sugar is occasionally produced in excess & has to be excreted, all this may hold good to a certain extent, but it is incredible that innumerable plants shd be so badly constructed that a precious material like sugar shd be manufactured at the very spot when the structured of the part renders it particularly liable to be wahed out & lost. But if it be primordially an excretion & this proves beneficial & has to be largely incurred to tempt insects for cross-fertilisation, then we can mention the frequency of floral nectaries & the abundance of nectar secreted, & we can further understand the interesting fact discovered by M. Bonnier that if insects are [prevented] coming to nectar it is re-absorbed.


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

File last updated 25 September, 2022