[139]

Mar 14 1864 Dipladenia Crassinoda? (Horwood?

Bignonia capreolata ?

In Hot-house too hot

Stem thin apparently twining, leaves consist of 2 leaflets & a moderately short long tendril consisting of 2 side & terminal branches, (representing 3 leaflets) each branch trifid, ending in a blunt hook. Tendril clasps a stick very slowly apparently in 24°.

March 14th, tendril rubbed lightly few times moved in about 1°. 30', ie the terminal portion — A curved t. has certainly power to straighten itself, after a touch & after naturally coming into contact with a stick.—

Apparently no spontaneous movement; but during night moved downwards, perhaps from age, as old t' always keep down.—

2/ D

Tendril with stick placed against it began to move in 10' & curled round so that tips touched the stick in 32' from the time the stick was placed.

It then moved away from the stick, & this I have remarked several times again & again, as if it did not like object. This which so surprised me for unlike Cobæa tip of hook quite blunt is now plain; when tip of t has touched some time it swells, & from oval, white, firmly adhering disk — This covered with convex shining cells as in V. Creeper. — Apparently first begins at tip of hook & then spreads to either side— The t. becomes very strong. — Tendrils which do not touch, do not act thus. — I suspect some cannot

Some t. which have apparently touched & then become free have small disks or knobs of cellular matter.

(3

Dipladenia Crassinoda

In Hothouse move with sun —

Ap. 4 2° 30'

― 2°. 15'

― 2° 25'}2. 23'

[calculations not transcribed]

―5 2° 50' Cold day

This plant twines well— The basal part of t. hardly or very slowly sensitive — the branches partly curled round stick in 10'; but are not apparently sensitive to 10 or 5 inches of thread: The t. does not last long; but bends (like Big. unguis & buxifolia) & towards back of Hot house (& then vertically down) so as to clasp one stem & supporting stick

Twines well but open spire; peduncle of leaves not sensitive — Ascends from right to left, so reverse of B. buxifolia; but after 2 or 3 turns became straight

Does not really twine well, for often catches

4/

with basal part of t. & then the spiral twining reversed. —

I tried many experiments by changing place & putting up dark metal disks & I concluded t. moves to dark surface or from light. — Very odd same case in such distinct plants as this & V. Creeper.— T. have little or no spontaneous movement—.

May 18th Shoot stopped with 2 leaves edgeway to light & both tendrils turned to dark side., one over the other, excellent proof: the pot being turned round both tendrils reverted their position!!

I see it has made 4 spires in one way & then broke away & ascended nearly straight, catching by tendrils —

(5

Bign. capreolata —

May 24th I observed that ends of tendrils would had penetrated 2 loose ends of thick brown wool. — on opening them, I found that all five hooked extremities which had penetrated the wool had expanded into white cellular balls.

These when pressing against (I suspect sticking to wool) the single fibres of wool, soon separate them & crests grow up between the parallel fibres, & then the crests unite & envelope the fibres & go on growing till fibres lie in centres —

It is extremely curious to see 5 or 6 fibres parallel running through ball: they are so fast that they cannot be pulled out

Every gradation can be seem, from mere furrow

[5v]

Must adhere to filamentous mass on lichen or Tillandsia

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where hair pulled out to moving through middle in various directions.— The t. would not stick to blackened zinc plate, though it caught round edge, & to split stick which supported the plate.

It showed disgust at all these objects— I remember repeatedly after clasping stick uncurled & left it. —

Could not touch black cylinder of glass — no black metallic plate.

I put some rough bark twice it touched & twice withdrew, at last caught with one end minutest projection & settled to surface & spread itself well out & fitted every inequality— & in about 3 days discs began to appear — When the tips penetrate wool or tow the minutest ends curl round & enclose tendril.

[6v]

Jun 20th. 1° P.m. put tow to young t. 3° 30' put tendrils toward light, after day about 24° turned to dark side of Box— she

― Plant had 3 pairs of t. placed in box facing W. end of House. all 6 t These leaves all faced in different ways, but soon all 6 t. fac pointed all their branches to dark end of box., & looked [illeg] like 6 ragged canes on a windy day— one leaf was placed endways to box so that the t. had to pass over to other. — Stream of light, like stream of air— could not turn back when put turned.

Jun 23d.— 1° P.m. tow to tendril—

Base 6 oz & this time drew out

(full 2 1/2 inches long t.)