ke that of Primula. Should you object to my
adding them to those given me by A. Gray? By the way, I heard from A.
Gray this morning, and he gives me two very curious cases in Boragineae.

LETTER 608. TO JOHN LINDLEY.

(608/1. In the following fragment occurs the earliest mention of
Darwin's work on the three sexual forms of Catasetum tridentatum. Sir
R. Schomburgk (608/2. "Trans. Linn. Soc." XVII., page 522.) described
Catasetum tridentatum, Monacanthus viridis and Myanthus barbatus
occurring on a single plant, but it remained for Darwin to make out that
they are the male, female and hermaphrodite forms of a single species.
(608/3. "Fertilisation of Orchids," Edition I., page 236; Edition II.,
page 196.)

With regard to the species of Acropera (Gongora) (608/4. Acropera
Loddigesii = Gongora galeata: A. luteola = G. fusca ("Index Kewensis").)
he was wrong in his surmise. The apparent sterility seems to be
explicable by Hildebrand's discovery (608/5. "Bot. Zeitung," 1863
and 1865.) that in some orchids the ovules are not developed until
pollinisation has occurred. (608/6. "Fertilisation of Orchids," Edition
II., page 172. See Letter 633.))

Down, December 15th [1861].

I am so nearly ready for press that I will not ask for anything more;
unless, indeed, you stumbled on Mormodes in flower. As I am writing I
will just mention that I am convinced from the rudimentary state of
the ovules, and from the state of the stigma, that the whole plant of
Acropera luteola (and I believe A. Loddigesii) is male. Have you ever
seen any form from the same countries which could be the females? Of
course no answer is expected unless you have ever observed anything to
bear on this. I may add [judging from the] state of the ovules and of
the pollen [that]:--

Catasetum tridentatum is male (and never seeds, according to Schomburgk,
whom you have accidentally misquoted in the "Vegetable Kingdom").
Monacanthus viridis is female. Myanthus barbatus is the hermaphrodite
form of same species.

LETTER 609. TO J.D. HOOKER. Down, December 18th [1861].

Thanks for your note. I have not written for a long time, for I always
fancy, busy as you are, that my letters must be a bore; though I like
writing, and always enjoy your notes. I can sympathise with you about
fear of scarlet fever: to the day of my death I shall never forget all
the sickening fear about the other children, after our poor little baby
died of it. The "Genera Plantarum" must