RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1878.05.26-28. Cycas / Draft of Cross and self fertilisation. CUL-DAR209.4.140. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and John van Wyhe, edited by John van Wyhe 9.2022. RN2
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 volume CUL-DAR209.4 contains materials for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880).
Draft of Cross and self fertilisation in the hand of Ebenezer Norman with corrections by Darwin.
[140]
1878 Cycas
May 26th [sketch]
(used)
May 26th 1°. in Study
1° 27' to left & down
gone back 2°
3. vertically up
4° up & to right
5° to right & down.
6° 5 to left
7. 20 down & trifle to left
8. 30 down
9. 35 almost same spot
11° down & to left
27' 6° 50 a.m
8° 5 same course as during night
9. 30 up
10. 55 to left & up
12. vertically down
1°. an atom same course
2°. 30 to left
4 — almost same spot
6° up.
7. 15 vertically up
9° to left & up
10. 35 same course
How long Plumule
[140v]
(45) 601
Chapter 0 9
(Firstly, in the third and fourth generations of Mimulus luten us, a tall variety, having large white flowers blotched with crimson, appeared amongst both the intercrossed and self-fertilised plants, possibly owing to reversion. It prevailed in all the later self-fertilised generations to the exclusion of every other variety and transmitting its characters faithfully, but disappeared from the intercrossed plants owing now doubt to their characters being show repeatedly blended by crossing. The self-fertilised plants belonging to this variety were not only taller, but more fertile than the intercrossed plants; though these latter in
[Cross and self fertilisation, pp. 307-8: "Mimulus luteus.—A tall variety, bearing large, almost white flowers blotched with crimson, appeared amongst the intercrossed and self-fertilised plants of the third and fourth generations. This variety increased so rapidly, that in the sixth generation of self-fertilised plants every single one consisted of it. So it was with all the many plants which were raised, up to the last or ninth self-fertilised generation. Although this variety first appeared amongst the intercrossed plants, yet from their offspring being intercrossed in each succeeding generation, it never prevailed amongst them; and the flowers on the several intercrossed plants of the ninth generation differed considerably in colour."]
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 20 December, 2025