RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1877.08.31-.09.10. Lupinus pubescens. CUL-DAR209.1.64-69. 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).


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L. pubescens Aug 31. 8º 31' P.m 1877. Leaves asleep in several plants & one same plant in very different positions; some with leaflets almost horizontal — some declined a little downwards; & several with all arranged in vertical plane, (marked white wool)

Petiole of youngish leaf with all leaflets oblique; angle B

Sept 1' all 4 leaves with white wool, almost stood up with all their leaflets in the same vertical are now nearly horizontal & not one leaf with leaflets depressed as in pilosus & some were so last night

It is evident that petiole fall rise

Sept 1 9º P.m. red worsted 3 upper leaves oblique

red string 2 upper leaves oblique 3d leaf horizontal

Black all leaves except young uppermost with leaflet all declined

White wool — star of leaves vertical.

[annotated diagram]

[1v]

L. pubescens [diagram]

(2

Lupinus pubescens continued

pubescens not in Strudel

Sept 2d 11º A.m Plants have been in sun.

Two white wool, leaflets very nearly at rt angle to petiole

White w. & Black Thread — young leaf upper leaflets at nearly 135º with petiole; lower leaflets towards stick at about 45º with petiole.

Red worsted — 1 upper leaf with red worsted to petiole, all leaflets nearly at right angle to petiole with leaflets towards axis a little raised those near axis a little raised.

Leaf opposite that with red w. leaflets near axis on both sides a little above right angles to petiole

Thread lower leaf, leaflets near axis at rt. angle — outer leaflets at also 130º to petiole

Red string: uppermost leaf, leaflet nearly at right angle to petiole

2d leaf — outer leaflet nearly in line with petiole; toward axis considerably less than right angle

3d leaf leaflets all in horizontal plane, those towards axis at rt angle to petiole those towards outside at rather bigger angle than right angles

Black w. leaflet of 2 upper leaves nearly at rt angle to petiole

Black with white The. uppermost young leaf stem inclined; the 2 next, with leaflets in horizontal plane

(3

Lupinus pubescens continued 1877

Sept. 2 8º 40' P.m

Two white wool, highly inclined — leaflets towards axis these are the shorter leaflets parallel to petiole; leaflets on side opposite to axis vy large angle with petiole white-wool + black thread — leaflet towards axis nearly parallel to petiole

Red worsted upper leaf, star of leaflet highly inclined, those towards axis form with petiole angle of about 35º to 40º; the leaflets furthest from axis form a vy large angle with petiole. Opposite leaf, leaflets a little above right-angle with petiole, those nearest to axis & the shorter ones most raised.

This leaf, leaflets near axis a little at above right-angles, those outer leaflet at right angles.

Red-string much in same state as in morning

Black-wool uppermost leaf in vertical plane; 2 leaf highly inclined

3rd leaf —(all 3 above black wool) with all leaflets declined

Black w. & white thread; uppermost young leaf star vertical; 2d leaf with leaflets near axis parallel to petiole, further ones at ∟angle to petiole: 3d leaf, 2 inner in horizontal plane at angle of 45º with petiole, outer leaflet at angle above right angles.

(4

Sept 3. 1877 Lupinus pubescens, continued.

10º 50' A.m Cloudy morning

White wool one leaf forming star horizontal: other leaf with new leaflets horizontal & therefore far from parallel to petiole & further leaflets inclined upwards & therefore forming larger angle with petiole.

White w + black Th. — star almost horizontal, therefore inner leaflet far from parallel to petiole but a little inclined downwards; further leaflet horizontal, & therefor forming larger angle than right with petiole

Red worsted upper leaf with the red worsted — star almost horizontal, therefore inner leaflet form angle of about 6 with petiole & outer leaflet angle of about 130º with petiole: opposite leaf — star slightly inclined outwards, those nearest axis rather above rt ∟with pet. The outer ones at rt ∟ with pet: This & next lower leaf, all leaflets a little raised upwards; those nearest axis at right angles to pet, those outside about 135º or 140º with pet

Red string — The 3 leaves above red string nearly horizontal stars but will all the leaflets sloping somewhat upwards

Black wool (the 3 leaves next above black wool) upper star inclined towards axis; next 2 leaves approximately horizontal stars

Black w + white thread: uppermost inclined star: second leaf with leaflets near axis at less than right ∟to petiole & therefore far from parallel, outer leaflet about angle of 135º with petiole: 3d leaf forming a horizontal star therefore angle of inner & outer leaflet with pet. very different, inner leaflet at about angle of 55º with petiole.—

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Sept 3d Lupinus pubescens

I must measure rise of another petiole on 2 plants which behave differently

Summary thus far.

It is certain that the shorter leaflets towards axis during sleep bend though at least 45º downwards & that the longer leaflets on outer side bend upwards: thus holds with certain white wool plants or leaves

(In plants with red wool the shorter leaflets in leaf opposite to red wool are   It wd be safest to say does not go properly to sleep. So it is with red string)

Some of the black behave like white — some black had leaflets all declined during sleep, & horizontal when awake

Sept 6 8º P.m. Two white wool stars highly inclined but not so much inclined as before

Sept 7, 8º Pm stars moderately highly inclined

White wool + black thread all the leaves with all their leaflets declined

Sept 7, 8º Pm all declined except young leaflet tip, the outer leaflet of which are horizontal

[in margin:] See back

Red worsted 2 upper leaves forming star highly inclined facing to one side & differently to all they were before: This leaf with leaflet forming a star very slightly inclined

Sept 7, 8º Pm do—(youngest leaf on summit vertical star)

Red string forming a star inclined to the same side as in last leaf (no doubt to side of light) but the leaflet are raised upwards forming a hollow cone, thus [sketch]

Sept 7, 8º Pm do: In middle of day I observed leaflets formed a cone like some other species

(a) Black w. + white thread: all the leaves with all the leaflets more or less declined

Sept 7, 8º Pm do.— except youngest leaf on summit form a nearly vertical star

(b) Black w upper leaf highly inclined star; 2 next lower leaves with leaves declined.

Sept 7, 8º Pm do…, but youngest leaf on summit vertical star, N.B. several of these youngest leaves on summit were not observed last night

[5v]

(a) Black wool + white thread young with leaflet: in the morning the petiole of the leaf formed with perpendicular or stem beneath angle of 148º 1/2 153º, & therefore with stem above 27º: at night [diagram]

The angle was 31º so that this petiole had declined a little, instead of rising.

(b) Black wool: upper leaflet a highly inclined star when asleep) This leaf formed angle of 26º with stem above when awake & angle of 20º when asleep, so had rised 6º during sleep

[xx] (6

Lupinus pubescens 1877

Sept 7th 8º 10' A.m.—

(N.B. all the plants apparently belong to the same species)

2 white wools — stars almost horizontal one quite horizontal; thus of course implies as petiole are inclined that leaflets on inner & outer sides form very different angles with stem.

White w. + black thread. All the leaves with stars horizontal, except the uppermost leaf which still has leaflets all round slightly declined.

Red worsted 2 upper leaves stars very slightly inclined: thread leaf star horizontal.

Red string stars slightly inclined with leaflets still forming hollow cone

Black w. + white thread all the leaves with horizontal stars: this very well marked case.

Black w. upper leaf star very slightly mixed inwards; 2 next lower leaves horizontal stars

N.B. It is very remarkable how the individual plants differ: thus red-string has never formed highly inclined stars, & the leaflets has either been at rt. ∟or inclined slightly upwards

Black w. + white thread in an individual with all the leaflets declined during sleep & all horizontal stars during day: Black w. shows how same individual may have its leaves different: It seems that it is only the rather young leaves which form highly inclined stars: white not [heredity] of each separate leaf form the M.S.

A star shows how easily the sleep might pass from upwardly to downwardly inclined leaves.

(over)

[6v]

(Sept 10 an oldish leaf formed angle with star above of 50º 30' when awake of 43º when asleep, so had risen 7º 30' during sleep.

Another leaf formed the same angle of 50º 30' with stem above when awake & of 47º when asleep, so had fallen 3º 30' during sleep.)


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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 4 December, 2022