RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1864].10.29-11.15. Bignonia speciosa. CUL-DAR157.1.134. 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.
[134]
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
[134v]
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