RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1878.05.17-18. Oxalis carnosa. CUL-DAR209.11.80. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 7.2023. 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-DAR209.11 contains material for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880).
"Lettington, Henry, c.1822/3-c.1910. Gardener in 1851 census. 1854-79 Gardener at Down House. L of CD "He moons about in the garden, and I have seen him standing doing nothing before a flower for ten minutes at a time. If only he had something to do I believe he would be better". Lubbock, Darwin-Wallace celebrations of the Lin. Soc. of London, 1908, pp. 57-8. Helped CD in his experiments on the crossing of plants. More anecdotes on L at Down House in F. Darwin, Springtime and other essays, 1920, pp. 56-8. 1860s Photograph of L with William Brooks by William Darwin, Down House collection. Reproduced in Reeve, Down House, 2009, p. 23 and Browne, Power of place, facing p. 312. Mrs. Amy L was draper in the village. 1882 L was on "Personal Friends invited" list for CD's funeral. 1895 Jul. Alive. (Paul van Helvert & John van Wyhe, Darwin: A Companion, 2021.)
[80)
May 17 & 18' 1878 Oxalis carnosa
I have now watched 3 pods ripening (& Lett. watched others) & the sub-peduncle move upwards from its downward perpendicular position, & whilst this is occurring the middle of sub-peduncle bends, so that pod when ready to eject to a distance its seeds, stands quite vertically upwards.
[sketch] Coats of Ovaria like silver paper
In diurnal position as calyx & [drum] of ovarium do not appear quite horizontally seeds wd be scattered not far if released downward, where upwards has contrary effect
This last movement explains why dependent sub-peduncle goes no on circumnutating.—
(over)
[80v]
sub-peduncles hold same position [rubbing] the main peduncle about 40° with it, as if it had remained upright when thus placed rose more than [sketch] wd have supposed had the main peduncle been kept Horizontal
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 19 August, 2023