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Mimosa prostrata marginata

From Brazil Slightly sensitive in fine weather

Oct 6' Plant had been kept cool & dark probably not fully sensitive — But water from [metalled] squirt made it partially at least fully as well as pinching with finger —

After partially & not closely closing, a 2d squirting made the leaves partially close again— The glass squirt produced no effect. — The sleep with upturned & adpressed leaflets. (N.B. many allied genera have like young leaves of oxalis the primordial power of slight & quite useless movement, & this has been increased in M. pudica for protection from water.) (Leaves are considerably wetted now) perhaps not so if move quicker.

Leaflets, dipped in water, upper surface thoroughly wetted lower surface slightly silvery removed by ether —

Edges of leaves fleshy & I think sensitive.

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M. marginata

Oct 10th 8° 50' P.m. Temp 86°. Sleep with leaflets not very close, & raised upwards & the two pinnæ much raised so as to stand almost vertically upwards on the horizontal left- Branch.—

Oct 11. I syringed with large glass & metal syringe for some minutes with water at 67. (Temp of Case only 76°) & it produced only trace of movement, about as much as pinching leaves. I also shook rather violently the plant with no effect.— The upper surface of leaves much wetted & water not easily shaken off.—

Oct 12. 10° 15'-45' P.m. Temp 82°. Lenny observed plant found it asleep with base alone in some cases closed & upper part a little separate, in other cases with all whole leaflets a little separate, & he then syr squirted (metal squirt) with water of same temperature (or nearly so) & the leaves intently & visibly closed, he thinks closely says tight. He then shook the plant, but this had no effect on the other leaves.

see Back see Back

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See next Page. — Oct 18'  The Boys visited the plant at night & squirted water into the net— very closely shut leaves.

There certainly often was slight movement but not more than occurs in day— so confirms my account.

This movement, when asleep, is like what occurs with M. pudica.—

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M. Marginata

Oct. 13 at 5° 18' P.m a dull evening most of leaves asleep.— visited case at 7° 40' P.m. & plant thoroughly asleep. — most of the leaves all closed, but the tips of the leaflets diverge; many of them not quite close so a thick knife cd be inserted.

I squirted water of same temp. as case viz 81° into the crack, one closed a little, but I could see none of the quick movement described by Lenny; & those that did apparently close a little when squirted into, did not fit tight for by pressing with my fingers water exuded— They do not close at all comparably so well as M. pudica when asleep & I think certainly has no relation to water— merely to be vertical like so many other plants— Was quite expanded at about 5° 30' A.m.

Oct 14  9.15 Took plant out of case at 88° & syringed 3 or 4 leaflets for a minute or 2 with cold water at 47°; leaflets moved but in an extremely slight degree, not more than on former occasion.

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Oct 17th Upper Leaf

[Figures and data not transcribed]

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M. marginata

Oct 15. Let. [Lettington] at 4° 47' A.m.— small moon— plant in cooler hothouse (& the case was only 77°) probably down to 70°, at this early hour plant almost fully awake.

Oct 17th (Temp. 85'°, rising to 89°— say average 87° 88°.)

chose chose 2 leaves parallel to & near each other; the upper of course rather younger, but full-grown; & showed the movements of end of midrib by 2 marks on opposite side of Case.— The 2 leaves held same position with respect to light. See diagram. The upper leaf made a most minute, beginning at 8° 43': next morning we watched for 2h & moved straight downwards. — Lower leaf moved straight down & then, after 2°. 30' moved upwards — These movements do not look like those of Desmodium, but more like those of Oxalis sensitiva, as if the older leaves moved downwards & opposed to sun during day & morning & upwards during afternoon. — I had better say some movement, & not following light, as sun was rising before 12° & travelling to East

At first the 2 leaves certainly moved in directly opposite directions

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M. Marginata

Nov. 26th Plant growing freely — rather more sensitive than it was.

By Pinching tip or base of leaflets the irritation travels up or down leaf as in M. pudica— Cutting off or pinching main petiole of the 2 pinna causes some leaflets to shut. — but I have never seen all the leaflets shut as close, as during sleep — not that this is then absolutely close. — Syringing with tepid water has about same effect as pinching.— Blowing hard through a glass, tube, or mere shaking a prostrate branch, with moderate violence has less effect. — A leaf in about 1/2 to 3/4 hour after being cut off by from main petiole closed nearly as much as in during sleep ― cut off end of leaf was standing in water. Leaflets opened again almost fully in another hour.—

I placed 2 leaves to float on water at 73° & heated the water, (& soon immersed the leaves) up to 135°. The leaves did not move or close. They were very little agitated whilst the water was heating, & the leaves were

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M. marginata

not thoroughly wetted, though I then agitated them for a few seconds— I then agitated the leaves in water 125°-120° for 1m. & they were now well wetted, yet were dry in spots, after being blown with mouth. There seems something in the surface as in M. albida, which does not allow water easily to rest on it, if blown, or by violently shaken. —

Nov. 26' 9° 40 P.m. I find leaves on young growing shoots do shut close when asleep—

(I saw little leaflets on the Desmodium moving)