(1

1873 Mimosa albida. (a Peruvian species)

Nov. 20th 8° 45' P.m. plant well asleep— a leaf which had its petiole crooked went to sleep some hour earlier than the other leaves.— Main petiole not depressed at least at this early time of night— Each pair of leaflets most closely & beautifully pressed together & fitting — & the 2 opposite pairs or pin brought close together so that the back of one is pressed against the other— The little basal leaflet is pressed against its large [illeg], & the pair advance forwards so that the back of the larger one & the back of the little one is pressed against the opposite set. The whole 8 leaflets thus make a flat close bundle, & all are depressed to about an angle of 45° with the main petiole, instead of standing on a level with it. as during the day.

[in margin:] Remember the plant in torpid condition see p 9

Back of leaflet with fine hairs pointing to apex of leaf—

I am nearly sure when leaflets stimulated by touch main petiole became depressed. Each pair of leaflets correspond to pinna??

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Mimosa albida (from Peru.)

Little leaflet may have retained original original size, & the other leaflets have been enlarged, Anyhow Anyhow the little all try go to sleep.—

Nov. 21st A leaf 4/5. fully grown, broken off by accident.

Both surfaces silvery & not wetted in cold water.

In water 70° for 30" not wetted

Water is at 75 1/2—75 for 1m.  borders of upper surface wetted, not lower surface—

Same leaf for additional 1.m in water

74 1/2 to 74 — upper surface well wetted & no longer silvery, but by hard blowing almost dried again— lower surface better protected & is not so much wetted

(Little leaflets, silvery on both surface like larger ones in cold water, rather less than 1/4 of length of larger ones, & relatively greater border the 2 half halves on each side of midrib not so unequal.)

(79° to 78° for 1m silvery appearance gone, but upper surface by blowing hard rendered almost dry— lower surface not wetted.

Same leaflet 80 1/2 to 80° for 1m additional, by even after hard blowing, upper surface partially almost completely wetted, not so lower surface.)

(Another & distal leaflet in w. at 86° for 1 m. only partially wetted on upper surface after hard blowing. —

Same leaflet 90 1/2-90 for 1m thoroughly wetted on upper surface, only slightly on lower.) I may say that waving in water from 90° to 78° for 1m or 2m removes wax from upper surfaces

[sketch] 2d Pinn— 1st Pinn. Shape of leaf.

(Another leaflet 85 1/2—85° for 1m— only partially wetted on upper surface

Same leaflet 91°-90° for 1m addition upper sur thoroughly wetted; lower surface only very slightly.)

(Evidently far better protected than M. pudica, & much less sens sensitive.)

(A little leaflet 89 1/2-89° for 1m. upper surface partially wetted, not so lower surface)—

2. A

M. albida

Nov. 26th Waved leaflet in water 81° 1/2 cooling to 79° for 4m upper surface much wetted — after 5m completely wetted lower surface only spotted with wet.— So long-continued rain wd act.—

It is very remarkable that immersion in C. Ether, & brushing with do, & with Sp. of wine does not remove bloom from upper surface well— it appears afterward exactly as if greased— & when left floating on water — the surface repels the water over the middle of leaf— Does not ether remove ordinary grease? I have tried some other leaflets & S. Ether does not remove bloom.— nor does, or only imperfectly, immersion in strong sol. of C. of Ammonia— or in Caustic Potash or C. of Potash.— Is it something in state of surface— nor does several rubbings with cotton wool, of in same direction & yet hot water does do so. There is something about the leaf which I do not understand for after immersion & waving for 1m in water at 120°-125°, then when leaf blown hard with smooth (surface is dry— it seems all pitted with minute pits covered with minute XX hemi-spherical projections.

(3

Mimosa albida

Nov. 21st (12°) I syringed in every case with larger glass syringe wh. there was a very fine jet of water tepid from case— Syringed joint of main petiole, & this did not cause depression, but when I syringed joints & laminæ of all leaflet— the main petiole was depressed, & became erect again, (ie above ∟ with axis) in 1/2 hour & subs-petiole had likewise recovered position)

But the greatest effect was on the sub-petioles of the 2 pinnæ, as these became considerably depressed, but did not approach each other— so differs from sleep, & likewise as I believe in the main petiole not being depressed. Some of the leaflets approached each other a little. From the combined movement of the main & chief from that of sub-petioles the leaflets hang down at about 50°-70° & completely & from [illeg] after repeated syringing, only a few globules adhered to the leaflets & chief on margins. Perhaps when hotter from what Hooker says leaflets wd close. The position gained was

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M. albida

like that of Desmodium. thus very differently effected

It is great gain to know that anyhow these movement movements are effected easier than by the shaking of the leaves.

The leaves before syringing were horizontal or inclined upwards above the horizon.

Nov. 22d. 6° A.m. Little observed plant when hardly light, leaves not fully opened— but main petiole did not appear in the least depressed.

Nov. 24th After my several experiments, I may say that leaves were much more sensitive to touch, shaking & syringing than M. marginata or Acacia Farnesiana, but far less so than M. pudica.

The downward movement of the petioles & sub-petioles take place in a few seconds, & they begin to rise again after the shaking in a few minutes.— Are completely restored in less than 1/2 hour, I believe in much less time.— Hear what Hooker says about sensitiveness.

[52]

Nov 24/73/ 12°

Mimosa albida

[Annotated figure]

The laminæ of leaflets were only slightly raised

/over

[52v]

Lower leaf after fingering & some pricking for 46"

I struck leaf lightly in various parts with one finger, & (occasionally pricked midribs & petioles,) qui so as to agitate leaves. quite as much as did fine jet of water.

We learn that when not in very sensitive condition at low temp, wat jet of water (but rolls rolls off if put on gently) acts more efficiently than agitation by a finger.

The only flaw is that the water was tried only after interval of 10m or 15m, before leaf had perfectly recovered— The jet must act by causing some peculiar sort of vibration, & is continuous.

I omitted to measure angles of sub-petioles with main petiole after shaking — The effect of agitation is to cause downward movement of main petiole & in greater degree of sub-petioles, pinnæ, their convergence— the convergence of the leaflets, & the raising in slight degree of the laminæ.

Mimosa albida 5

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Mimosa albida

Angles of Leaves. (Nov. 23d 73) after hitting & syringing & slopes slopes of leaves by Self & Frank.—

[53]

(Ch 13) 540

* (1) The Physiology or mechanism of Blushing 1839 p. 156. I shall have occasion often to quote the this work in the present present chapter.

* (2) Dr. Burgess ibid. p. 56 — at p. 33 He also insists remarks on women blushing more than man as stated below. [Expression, p. 5.]

* (3) Quoted by Vogt, Mémoire sur les Microcéphales, 1867, p. 20— Dr. Burgess (ibid p. 56) doubts whether idiots even blush.— [Expression, p. 311.]

* (4) Lieber on the vocal sounds &c. Smithsonian Contributions vol 2. 1851. p. 6. [Expression, p. 312.]

* (5) Ibid p. 182 (see Back)

[Expression, p. 312.]

* (6) (10) Lady Duff Gordon (Letters from Egypt 1865 p. 66 says that all young vocal, a young man blushed on coming into her presence. Lady

Lady Gordon is mistaken when she says Malays & Mulattoes never blush.—

[Expression, p. 317.]

* (7) (11) Capt. Osborn (Quedah, p. 199), in speaking of a Malay, whom he reproached for cruelty, says he was glad to see that the man man blushed.

[Expression, p. 317.]