a true male panicle, and likewise hermaphrodite
flowers." Scott's paper on the subject is in "Trans. Bot. Soc.
Edinburgh," Volume VIII. See Letter 151, Volume I.) I am glad to hear
that you are now working on the most curious subject of parthenogenesis.
I formerly fancied that I observed female Lychnis dioica seeded without
pollen. I send by this post a paper on Primula, which may interest you.
(634/4. "Linn. Soc. Journal," 1862.) I am working on the subject, and if
you should ever observe any analogous case I should be glad to hear. I
have added another very clever pamphlet by Prof. Asa Gray. Have you a
copy of my Orchis book? If you have not, and would like one, I should be
pleased to send one. I plainly see that you have the true spirit of an
experimentalist and good observer. Therefore, I ask whether you have
ever made any trials on relative fertility of varieties of plants (like
those I quote from Gartner on the varieties of Verbascum). I much
want information on this head, and on those marvellous cases (as some
Lobelias and Crinum passiflora) in which a plant can be more easily
fertilised by the pollen of another species than by its own good pollen.
I am compelled to write in haste. With many thanks for your kindness.

LETTER 635. TO J. SCOTT. Down, 20th [1862?].

What a magnificent capsule, and good Heavens, what a number of seeds!
I never before opened pods of larger orchids. It did not signify a
few seed being lost, as it would be hopeless to estimate number in
comparison with other species. If you sow any, had you not better sow
a good many? so I enclose small packet. I have looked at the seeds; I
never saw in the British orchids nearly so many empty testae; but
this goes for nothing, as unnatural conditions would account for it. I
suspect, however, from the variable size and transparency, that a
good many of the seeds when dry (and I have put the capsule on my
chimney-piece) will shrivel up. So I will wait a month or two till I get
the capsule of some large Vandeae for comparison. It is more likely that
I have made some dreadful blunder about Acropera than that it should be
male yet not a perfect male. May there be some sexual relation between
A. Loddigesii and luteola; they seem very close? I should very much like
to examine the capsule of the unimpregnated flower of A. Loddigesii.
I have got both species from Kew, but whether we shall have skill to
flower them I know not. One conjectures that it is imperf