RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1872-1873]. ['On the movement of the leaves of Drosera'], folio 106. CUL-DAR61.102. (Cite as: John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 2.2026. RN2
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR 54-61 contain material for Darwin's book Insectivorous plants (1875).
The volume CUL-DAR61 contains Darwin's draft essay 'On the movement of the leaves of Drosera', written 1872-1873. He intended to publish this with a revised edition of Climbing plants before commencing a larger book draft in April 1874 which became Insectivorous plants. See the introduction to this essay by John van Wyhe.
Draft partly corresponds to Insectivorous plants, p. 50.
(106
(Used)
the Control of the fluid within the cells of both the elongated & oval glands but becoming begun to aggregate brownish & the fluid content of the cells were beginning to aggregate into a few if into now brown such spherical recesses spherical uses. After 2° & 2° 30' these recesses seemed almost disintegrated pulpy, & some of the cells soon afterwards appeared empty. The appearance of the recesses which remained we had a wholly different a appearance from those produced formed ought to through the action of the same relation a of carbonate of ammonia, or sp or of a dead insects.)
Nitrate of soda. (in pure as imported from Peru). Half-minim drops of a solution of four grains to the ounce were placed in the discs of these base leaves: after 23° almost every tentacle & the lamina of one of the leaves were closely inflected. No segregation was caused by the immersion of a leaf for 2° in a solution of two trains to the ounce. First leaves were [excised] treated & the case m Half-minim of a
[lower half of page excised]
minim: "The smallest unit of fluid measure, about equivalent to one drop of liquid; the sixtieth part of a fluid drachm." OED.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 23 February, 2026