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Plant function and evolutionary biology
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EVOLUTIONARY REVIEW
Contents Vol 36(6)

Charles Darwin’s plant biology

Rosemary Purdie
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
Email: rosemary.purdie@environment.gov.au

This is an introduction to an ongoing series of papers: ‘The Evolution of Plant Functions’.

Functional Plant Biology 36(6) 481-489 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP09077
Submitted: 7 April 2009  Accepted: 24 April 2009   Published: 1 June 2009

Abstract

The year 2009 marks the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth and 150 years since publication of his theory of evolution, the seeds of which were sown while he was Naturalist during the voyage of the Beagle. Darwin’s botanical observations during that five-year long trip and his thousands of experiments with plants after his return to England provided much of the evidence he used to develop and substantiate his theory. Botany became a time-consuming passion that spanned topics as diverse as plant physiology, plant breeding and domestication, pollination biology, plant morphology and ecology. This paper provides an overview of his experimental work on plants, carried out at his home, Down House, using household items as equipment and working with hundreds of different species from across the flowering plant kingdom. Darwin communicated the results of his work in scientific and popular journals and in seven books, the last of which was published when he was 74 years old. In his autobiography, Darwin attributed his success as a scientist to his love of science, unbounded patience, industry in observing and collecting facts, invention, and common sense. Darwin remains an inspiration for the budding scientists of the 21st century.

Additional keywords: climbing, circumnutation, fertilisation, fertilization, hybrid, heterostyly, homorphic, insectivorous, movement, orchid, tendril.


Acknowledgements

Much of the material in this article has been drawn from Allan (1977) and to a lesser extent from the introduction and two appendices in Carroll (2003).


References


Allan M (1977) ‘Darwin and his flowers.’ (Faber and Faber: London) 318 pp.

Carroll J (Ed.) (2003) ‘On the origin of species by means of natural selection.’ Introduction, pp. 9–72; Appendix A (excerpts from The Autobiography of Charles Darwin), pp. 425–44; Appendix B (excerpts from Journal of Researches), pp. 445–464. (Broadview Texts: Canada)

Darwin C (1862) ‘On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilized by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing.’ 1st edn. (John Murray: London)

Darwin C (1865) ‘On the movement and habits of climbing plants.’ (John Murray: London)

Darwin C (1868) ‘The variation of animals and plants under domestication.’ (John Murray: London)

Darwin C (1875) ‘Insectivorous plants.’ (John Murray: London)

Darwin C (1876) ‘The effects of cross- and self-fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom.’ (John Murray: London)

Darwin C (1877) ‘The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species.’ (John Murray: London)

Darwin C (1880) ‘The power of movement in plants.’ (John Murray: London)

Darwin F (Ed.) 1887. ‘The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter.’ (John Murray: London)









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