RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1864].10.29-11.15. Bignonia speciosa. CUL-DAR157.1.134. Edited by John van Wyhe (The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 4.2023. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here.
The volumes CUL-DAR157.1-2 contain notes, abstracts etc. for Darwin's long paper and later book Climbing plants (1865). It was also commercially available as a softbound offprint, F834, F834a. See R. B. Freeman's bibliographical introduction. Items CUL-DAR157.1.11-60 were in a folder marked "Twiners". Items CUL-DAR157.1.61-112 were in a folder marked "Leaf-climbers" and items CUL-DAR157.1.114-147 were in a folder marked "Tendrils". Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin.
Oct 29' Bign. speciosa— T. can catch by middle, whereas extremity catches worst— which in all common tendrils is to the part which alone is sensitive — This fact explained by its search for dark holes & crevices — One case of catching firmly in course— this not observed till too late to give it transverse sticks with f forces.
Tendril in passing over a bundle of twigs adapts itself to theory general configuration.— Petioles short, but certainly move spontaneously.)
Novr 4th —
/over
Novr. I put t. in holes & I examined those which clasped sticks [illeg] & never disc formed as I expected.
Now that we know genesis of this tendril & of B. littoralis, (which analogy wd show is dark-seeker) I believe suspect it is an uninjurious habit retained by inheritance— possibly at recent intervals. — Nov. 15. I again have watched numerous t. inserted into crevices— turning points at ∟' to corner. or laterally bending at ∟ & fitting into crevice, but always drawn out by spiral contraction.—
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 20 July, 2023