The 12th February is a very important date, for one very good reason. 209 years ago Charles Darwin was born. Besides all of the work he carried out on evolution, distilling observations and making connections in a scientific manner, he did many other things as well. He wrote on the distribution of coral reefs (1842), geology (1844 and later), barnacles (1851), climbing plants (1865), expression of emotions (1872), insectivorous plants (1875) and many other subjects, including in 1862 methods of orchid pollination.
It is this one that is of particular interest because young Darwin, born and brought up in Shrewsbury would have been familiar with the Butterfly Orchid that still grows in Shropshire and the night flying moth that sips the nectar and pollinates the flower. This lovely white native orchid is just like Angraecum sesquipedale of Madagascar, only in miniature. It was unknown for many years what animal was responsible for pollination of this flower as it has a very long spur on the flower at the bottom of which is the nectar treat. Darwin guessed that the pollinator was a hawk moth with a very long tongue and so it turned out to be. When the pollinator was finally found it turned out to be a hawk moth, Xanthopan morganii, with a tongue about 30cm long.
So raise a glass to Charles Darwin a very versatile biologist and a clear thinker who knew how to interpret what he saw from what he had seen.
It is this one that is of particular interest because young Darwin, born and brought up in Shrewsbury would have been familiar with the Butterfly Orchid that still grows in Shropshire and the night flying moth that sips the nectar and pollinates the flower. This lovely white native orchid is just like Angraecum sesquipedale of Madagascar, only in miniature. It was unknown for many years what animal was responsible for pollination of this flower as it has a very long spur on the flower at the bottom of which is the nectar treat. Darwin guessed that the pollinator was a hawk moth with a very long tongue and so it turned out to be. When the pollinator was finally found it turned out to be a hawk moth, Xanthopan morganii, with a tongue about 30cm long.
So raise a glass to Charles Darwin a very versatile biologist and a clear thinker who knew how to interpret what he saw from what he had seen.