The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1878.04.20. Acanthus mollis. CUL-DAR209.6.8. 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-DAR209.6 contains materials for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880).

Notes for Movement in plants. Text F1325. Acanthus mollis or Bear's Breeches or Sea Holly is a small flowering plant native to the Mediterranean region. Its large lobbed leaves are represented in the capitals of columns of the Corinthian order.

[8]

April 20th. 1878.

Acanthus mollis

New arched organ for breaking through ground

Cots. large & hypogean.— no plumule breaks through the ground, but the first true leaf, with summit of petiole arched, the blade infolded & bent downwards, at this time, the 2d leaf stands upright under the protection of the 1st arched one, but the second ~~is so~~ grows rapidly so that soon there is no great difference between them. What I have called the 2d leaf rises exactly opposite — call it the opposite one, so that its little development must be a special adaptation. The plumule or growing axis very little developed, consisting of little tuft of hair, but plain in longitudinal section,

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Maout & Decaisne gives as character of Acanthaceæ— "Leaves opposite or whorled" very interesting case.

Petiole of another leaf almost twice as thick as that of the opposite one, the blade of which is yellowish whilst that of former green.—

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