RECORD: Darwin, C. R. & Emma Darwin. 1864.04.02-05. Clematis flammula. CUL-DAR157.1.73. Edited by John van Wyhe (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.
April 2 1864 Cl. flammula.—
Shoots rather thick & straight & stiff & not very long as in C. viticella do not seem likely to move with sun sun, (carrying young & sensitive leaves.) right-hand leaf shoot 1st. in 4°, second circle in 4°. left-hand shoot first circle 4°. 23' second circle 3°. 25'—
They formed ellipses, rather broad, & in one case apex of shoot moved 1 3/8 & the other 1 3/4 in length— The chief movement axis of ellipse was at nearly right angles to the line formed by the two opposite leaves. — Growth as important as this movement
Leaves somewhat angularly bent & bowed down as in C. viticella— but not a good hook. The terminal peduncle & two lateral ones were lightly rubbed up & down for four times with a very thin twig thinner than peduncle & in 1° 45' I could just perceive slightest trace of curvature; the curvature
The peduncles being thick & rigid, makes it most remarkable that thread shd. act on them. —
About 1/6 & 1/8 of inch in length of peduncle was rubbed up & down once, & this repeated 4 times.—
(b
continued to increase for some hours & then to decrease; was not a trace of curvature could be seen after 25°. so slow it recovers.—
Some peduncle only once lightly rubbed up & down moved slowly about 1° afterwards the above case when 4 time rubbed — The terminal peduncle moved most. — These were nearly straight again in 12°, & the terminal in 14°.
A [illeg]
April 3d. I gave a single light rub down about 1/8' of inch length of peduncles & in 3° were decidedly curved curved, remained curved for till night.ie 11°, next morning straight again —
Ap. 2 5 inches of thread (at .125 of gr) placed on terminal peduncle in 24° produced some curvature. in 48° began to straighten again but did not become quite nearly quite straight — plainly had become accustomed to the stimulus—
5 inches produced no effect on baso-lateral peduncles.
Hence terminal part more sensitive
10 inches (.25 gr) acted in both respects as in former case, & became almost ultimately quite straight 2 1/2 inches (half of.125 gr =.062) certainly produced in eleven hours very slight curvature & ultimately nearly at rt angles wonderful considering thickness & stiffness of peduncle.
This never became nearly straight again. Of course the loop remaining suspended in these cases
The 2 1/2 inches of thread tried again certainly acted as before —
April 5th two new leaves have now come out, & shoot moves in narrow ellipse nearly perpendicular to line joining these 2 leaves, & therefore at nearly right ∟s to ellipse formed by shoot when younger & carrying the lower leaves at right. angles to above new ones.—
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 19 July, 2023