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April 1. 1879 Oxalis

Bulbs from Bot. Garden at Algiers sent under following names.

Ox. arborescens at night leaflets folded so that the 2 halves formed together angles of 92° 93° & 112°, therefore each half had risen upwards 90°— half of each of these angles.— i.e in fact 90 - 46° = 44°

The lower surfaces of leaflets in close contact

Of course if each leaflet was of no thickness, & these angles came into close contact the angle between the halves of each leaflet could would necessary be 120° or a 1/3 of 360°; but as the vertical edges depend petiole this is not case & as leaflets. No, no, this make angle bigger— There must be [sketch] space on summit, & they must fold backwards. [sketch]

In Ox. fragrans, the lower surfaces do not come into contact, but are separated by rather wide space, so that in greenhouse the summit of petioles look like bi 6 leaflets radiating from summit,

Here the leaflets so much folded that in 2 of best

[85v]

cases, the angles between 2 halves, were 76°, 74° & 54°, so that each half had risen 38° 52°, 51°, & 63° from the horizontal plane. [sketch]

[calculations not transcribed]

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O. bupleurifolia— petioles enlarged into leaves, with 3 little leaflets at apex, these merely depend at right angles when asleep & keep flat (so do leaflets of O. sensitiva.) & petiole rises greatly upwards.

O. Plumieri The 3 leaflets bend rectangularly, so sleep like an Amphicarpaea— leaflet flat

O. carnosa. sleep like common species.

O. hirta & O. rubella do not sleep.