The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1842.06.01. Dodecatheon [humble bees]. CUL-DAR49.33. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 4.2021. 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 volume CUL-DAR49 contains notes for Natural selection chap. 3 on 'On...organic beings occasionally crossing' or dichogamy.

[33]

Maer June 1 / 42/

Dodecatheon

Saw smallish Humble visit every flower in two clumps of this plant several times – it clung back straight downwards & [rolled] violently with proboscis near base of anthers, & a profusion of pollen fell on whitened stomach, which by middle legs, he fixed on hinder legs. – This action I find in just the one which best shakes out pollen – no other Dod: in garden – This Bee left anthers alone diverged & disturbed & almost eating emptied of pollen; hence probably Bee visits such plants only once. pollen very light & dry perhaps might be impregnated without Bee, but evidently structure tends to keep in pollen till disturbed – The projecting stigma must have been rolled over & over again on whitened body.

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