RECORD: Darwin, C. R. & Francis Darwin. [1877?].02.10-11. Lychnis githago / Draft of Forms of flowers. CUL-DAR209.4.234. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and John van Wyhe, edited by John van Wyhe 9.2022. RN2
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-DAR209.4 contains materials for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880).
[234]
Feb 10th
Lychnis githago
at ∠ angle to Cots
8°. 17'
8 50 to right & from so called light
9 33 back & parallel to left
10 23 same course Distance 9 2/8 distance .55
11. 18 . do
11. 55 to left
12. 48 to light
1° to light & right 9.25 [÷*] .55 [=] 16.8 (say 17 times)
1. 50 to right
2 17 to right & from light
3— same course dot on old line
3. 55 do
4. 30 do
5. 10 nearly same course
6. 4 to left rather
7 17 right from light Tracing axaggerated on
8. 30 to right & frm light left side
9. 15 little bit to right at 3° P.m only some began to open & at
10 7 from light 4° 30' a very few were
10° 53' short way to right from 20° to 24° open ; At 4°
Feb 11' 6° 55' 30' covered with night-Cap.—
11. 35 to light at 6° more closed at 7°. 30'
8 25 to left a little completely shut except a few 2
9 22 to light & right a little injured seedlings.—
10 10 to light
11. 4 to light & left
11 35 to left & little from light
12. 10 — say 12. 17 Whole Plants heliotrop by 4°
Cots all still closed! more greatly bent to side of light
First
First movement & last in plane of Cots & then at rt ∠
put in Hot-House 12° 30; remained closed all day misty.
(Used)
[234v]
refer to plants of this kind in the following chapters, I will here give a few details respecting them. It is familiar to every one that the ray-florets with of the Compositæ often differ remarkably from the others; & so it is with the outer flowers of many Umbelliferæ, some Cruciferæ & a few other families. Several species of Hydrangea & Viburnum offer striking instances of the same fact. The Rubiaceous genus Mussænda is remarkable presents a very curious appearance from some of the flowers having the apex tips of one of the sepals developed into a large petal-like
[Forms of flowers, pp. 4-5: "With many plants, the flowers towards the outside of the inflorescence are much larger and more conspicuous than the central ones. As I shall not have occasion to refer to plants of this kind in the following chapters, I will here give a few details respecting them. It is familiar to every one that the ray-florets of the Compositæ often differ remarkably from the others; and so it is with the outer flowers of many Umbelliferæ, some Cruciferæ and a few other families. Several species of Hydrangea and Viburnum offer striking instances of the same fact. The Rubiaceous genus Mussænda presents a very curious appearance from some of the flowers having the tip of one of the sepals developed into a large petal-like expansion, coloured either white or purple."]
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 20 December, 2025