[85]

Ficus repens June 24— 1864—

Put rootlets in S. of Carbon for some hours, & then extremity of each when broken was full of very fine numerous transparent, excessively elastic colourless not viscid threads, which were firmly united to grains of quartz &c— —

Seemed to lie under bark & round central wood fibre & to pass through it to the grains — A specimen [illeg] which had not been soaked in the S. of C. had tips rather brittle with no trace of the elastic fib threads — I presume caoutchouc in hardened conditions

July 13th took off slip of glass & just under rootlets, numerous points of dried matter adhered to glass & some drops of transparent colourless not milky like from prick viscid fluid which could be drawn out into threads. —

July 17' Certainly drop of clear viscid fluid from rootlets — cannot be drawn into threads — on skip of glass— Took several Hours to day though so minute not dry in 24° very hot & dry weather.

24 + 24 + 24° + 24° + 48

/over

[85v]

Have unattached roots caoutchouc? (31 days in July)

Have little primary swellings?

26th not yet dry 27th do 29th do—

31' do Aug 2d nearly dry

Augt 9th. still wet!!! 10th still damp.

15' [+] 14 [=] 29 days hardly—quite dry

(Sept 10 still wet!!! now 14 [+] 31 [+] 10 [=] 55)

On July 17' put shoot with light weight on glass & this day Aug. 9' (= 23 days) reused glasses & found that rootlets adhered to them. Hence I conclude rootlets must absorb some of their own fluid.— These rootlets adhered with surprising force by yellowish comb, on which Bisulphide of carbon had no especial action — (Ivy seemed also to secrete some yellowish matter, but much less & hardly adhered to glass) The Bisulphide dissolved some matter & very slowly dried, though so volatile a fluid, & the globules divide curled & formed many minute spheres. —