RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1877.10.24. Melilotus officinalis. CUL-DAR209.1.115. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 6.2022. RN1

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 volume CUL-DAR209.1 contains materials on circumnutation of leaves and sleep for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880).


[115]

Melilotus officinalis 1877

Oct. 24 Old Plant put facing study window in same position as during weeks in greenhouse, with most of leaves hanging down vertically & facing light.— Traced on vertical glass.—

Right-Hand Diagram B stem tied showing nutation movement of whole leaf, but there was little movement as terminal & leaflet depended vertically, but there was some. This diagram magnified 7.5 times.

Left-Hand. Diagram A This more interesting, as it shows movements of terminal leaflet, with its sub-petiole aline: between 10° 40' & 1° 45' clearly nutated. Tracing magnified 14.4 times. This leaf depended obliquely & therefore in evening sunk much.

At night, at 7° 15 began new tracing, both terminal leaflets were then twisted so as to stand vertically, but only a little bent to one side, & being old never came in to apposition with lateral leaflets. The left one (ie diagram A rose greatly in almost straight line till 10° 35' P.m, when no longer observed — The right-hand one (Diagram B) rose less, yet considerably during same time — So go down till sometime before 7°. 15 & then commence rise rising, which probably continue during great part of night, at 9° 20' (24) were falling.


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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

File last updated 25 September, 2022