RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1879.11.13-16. Mimosa pudica / Draft of Power of movement. CUL-DAR209.10.61. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 7.2022. RN2
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-DAR209.10 contains notes on sleep (Leguminosae) for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880).
[61]
Nov. 13. 1879. Mimosa pudica— Seedlings kept in dark as by other paper so that did not sleep — all sensitiveness not utterly lost.— only periodical movements .— with summit of hypocotyl cemented to stick. & filament [sketch] cemented to one pinna— on 2 seedlings— traced in darkness on vertical glass— to see if any circumnutation left. Morning cold. 54º F. first dots
Left A 8º a.m 8º. 53' down & to left 10. 30 down (Temp 55º. F) 11. 45. down & to Left 1. 45 little down— (I suspect filament too Heavy) 2. 55 down still Temp 56º 4. 25 up & to left 6º to left Horizontally 8º 15 down & to right 10. 30 down & to left 14' 7º 45' am far down (ought to have risen) out of sight [sketch] (Temp 52º) 11º 45 still down & out of sigh, but I think has risen. (Temp 54º) 5º 40' certainly up — marked date on glass 10 35' vertically up (.Leaflets not in lest asleep pinna not approached) 15 7º 45' down during night— (Many leaflets now quit pinnae have not converged— leaflets quite flat 12º risen 1º 40' up & to left 2º 55 vertically up short way 4º 35' down 6º down & to right 7. 35 down & do 10. 25 P.m down again — leaflets & leaves not in the lest asleep— but still a trace of sensitiveness 7º a.m. during night a little up & to right 8º a.m up & to right a shade of sensitiveness left in leaflets |
Right B 8º 8º 53 up. 10. 30' far down (circumnutating) 11. 45 far up. 1. 45. down 2. 55 up— (I think) Temp. 4º 25 down & to left 6º down & to right 8º 15 down considerably — leaf look somewhat asleep I suppose Light during observations 10. 30 down same course 14' 7º' am .... (ie hardy rose at night) a little e up & to right — 11º 45. risen a good (does it normally rise in morning?) (ought to do this) 2º 40' down & to left 5 40' up 10 35 vertically down 15' '7º 45' much down during night— leaflets partially asleep (Temp. 51º) pinnae have converged a little 12º filament so dependent— off glass 2º. 55 much risen X ought to fall during day
4. 35. down again— I think off glass 6º greatly down off glass 7º 35 certainly risen considerably on glass (Amplitude of movement enormously lessened) 16th 7º am tremendously up
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[61v]
[Draft of Power of movement]
times, [insertion excised] would be hardly intelligible. In 8 1/2 hours the summit moved thrice to the right left & twice to right in almost parallel lines & in the direction of a line joining the two cotyledons. During the next 4 1/2 hours it moved in a line at right angles to that joining the cotyledons; then back again
[Draft of Power of movement]
movements were not nearly enough pronounced to be called sleep. They [2 words illeg] cotyledons seem appear to be much affected by the degree of light to which they are exposed subjected, for those of a seedling kept in an vy obsure place began to descend about more instead of later in the evening; The movements of & those of another were almost put with another seedling it seemed to be almost paralysed paralysed by its having been [illeg] exposed kept for two days, under a rather obsure light. We may infer It is therefore probably It seems possibly highly probable that the extraordinary circumnutating power which of this plant exhibit could readily be consented in a so-called sleep movement, if this were beneficial to the species.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 9 August, 2025