RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1879.11.13-16. Mimosa pudica. CUL-DAR209.10.61. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 7.2022. 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-DAR209.10 contains notes on sleep (Leguminosae) for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880).
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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. 54° F. first dots
Left A 8° a.m 8°. 53' down & to left 10. 30 down (Temp 55°. F) 11. 45. down & to Left 1. 45 little down— (I suspect filament too Heavy) 2. 55 down still Temp 56° 4. 25 up & to left 6° to left Horizontally 8° 15 down & to right 10. 30 down & to left 14' 7° 45' am far down (ought to have risen) out of sight [sketch] (Temp 52°) 11° 45 still down & out of sigh, but I think has risen. (Temp 54°) 5° 40' certainly up — marked date on glass 10 35' vertically up (.Leaflets not in lest asleep pinna not approached) 15 7° 45' down during night— (Many leaflets now quit pinnae have not converged— leaflets quite flat 12° risen 1° 40' up & to left 2° 55 vertically up short way 4° 35' down 6° 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 7° a.m. during night a little up & to right 8° a.m up & to right a shade of sensitiveness left in leaflets |
Right B 8° 8° 53 up. 10. 30' far down (circumnutating) 11. 45 far up. 1. 45. down 2. 55 up— (I think) Temp. 4° 25 down & to left 6° down & to right 8° 15 down considerably — leaf look somewhat asleep I suppose Light during observations 10. 30 down same course 14' 7°' am .... (ie hardy rose at night) a little e up & to right — 11° 45. risen a good (does it normally rise in morning?) (ought to do this) 2° 40' down & to left 5 40' up 10 35 vertically down 15' '7° 45' much down during night— leaflets partially asleep (Temp. 51°) pinnae have converged a little 12° filament so dependent— off glass 2°. 55 much risen X ought to fall during day
4. 35. down again— I think off glass 6° greatly down off glass 7° 35 certainly risen considerably on glass (Amplitude of movement enormously lessened) 16th 7° am tremendously up
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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
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 25 September, 2022