RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1878.07.02. Drosera rotundifolia. CUL-DAR209.3.181. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 12.2022. 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-DAR209.3 contains materials for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880).


[181]

Drosera rotundifolia

July 2d 1878

Pinned leaf to flat wood— cut off some tentacle & placed under compound; the t. slowly bowed backward, but moved very little & no sign of circumnutation, but then tentacle apparently full-grown, though secreting copiously. —  Its movement in catching prey must be (theoretically) of the same order as pulvinus secretion — namely the secretion of water from cells on inner side.

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[181v]

Observation not in least trustworthy, as tentacles f. afterward to be insensible —  from what cause I know not —  removal from Plate or pinning to piece of wood; & yet, I think, just at first must have been sensible, & yet did not circumnutate — only bend outwards:─

 


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Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

File last updated 14 December, 2022