(1

Jan. 20 1861

Primula Sinensis

Flower peduncles & Roots of Chinese Primrose covered with Hairs with enlarged heads, which secrete yellowish brown thick slightly viscid matter. Many short, some longish Hair Sol. of C. of Am. seemed to segregate globules of Chlorophyll, especially in shorter Hairs. (no) So examined a fragment (most carefully with 1.4 glass & weak Eye. P.) with 25 of short Hairs; of the Heads of these 2 had plainly chlorophyll globules, & 2 or 3 showed obscure signs of them. I then put the fragments in weak Sol. of C. of ammonia (strength not accurately known 5 or 6 gr to oz) for about 2 Hours: I then found all (except 2 or 3) these Heads contained 1 large or 2 largish or 3 to 5 small spheres. Change most conspicuous. There were 9 long Hairs on same fragment, not one of which included globules, but after the C. of am

[sketch] 8 or 9 cells in long Hairs

[1v]

Measure chlorophyll globules in Hairs & see whether they do increase in size? Put flower stalk in Bottle, plugged with cotton wool & see whether vapour absorbed & Chlorophyll segregated - first examine 2 bits of skin from 2 stalks & see that none or few in Hairs What is secretion? With time wd segregation move down stalk? How quick segregation takes place - Is it certain that water would not cause segregation? Selenium? Is brown secretion acid- Is it altered by C. of amm & then acts on content of cell?

(2

Primula

3 of these contained most distinct globules. I suspect the little specks of Chlorophyll on walls of cells of Hairs were increased in size.????

As in Drosera ammonia salts & nitrous matter act so quickly on glands, in causing movement & aggregation of matter, & as whole economy of plant shows adaptation for this purpose, leading to conviction that nitrus matter is of use & as we see that these hairs, either by tip or base absorb C. of Amm & segregation is produced, one may suspect that Hairs are of use.

There was in 2 or 3 Hairs chlorophyll globules alone beneath the enlarged Head, but those cases were rare & this shows that probably amm is absorbed by these Heads, which secrete like Drosera.

If absorbed by cells at stems, change would have run up the stems. - The enlarged Heads contained some finer granular matter, not so transparent as stems of Hairs.

[2v]

3 of strong vapour of Chloroform no effect - Yellow secretion somewhat viscid - broken up into minute globules.

C. of Ammonia vapour seem to have no effect on brown secretion

In 1 hour much segregation in terminal enlarged cell- I doubt any difference in long & short Hairs

8 or 9 cells on long Hairs (after 2° 35') long Heads more affected than short - There can be no doubt that C. of Am. 4 gr to oz (about 1 min) causes segregation in for 1 to 3 hours in terminal enlarged cell. [sketch]

The cells secrete & contain mor opake matter than any other cells

After 6° the spheres have mostly disappeared below glass & content become browner Spec in saucer - Long Hair opake except 1 or 2 lower segment - granular wall of cells

(3

Primula Sinensis

(V) Exposure of peduncle of flower to 3' the strong vapour of C. of Amm. no effect on brown secretion or on segregation of globules

The yellow-brown – secretion slightly viscid & easily breaks up into minute globules. Hairs exposed to 1° in a little sol. of C. of Am (4 gr to 1 oz) showed segregation in most of the terminal heads - I do not now believe in any differences in long & short hairs. A peduncle in above sol. for 2° 35' had the contents of most of heads of long-hairs segregated; but a minute piece left between the glasses of for 6° 5' had almost all the segregated spheres reconverted into granular matter which was now darker than what it was! Originally the contents of this head is rather opaker than the [sketch]

Subsequent

[3v]

[calculation not transcribed]

(4

the othercells - Again a good-sized piece of peduncle left in a good quantity of above solution for 6° 15' (which wd then get more Ammonia) that that between the glasses, had hardly any segregated masses, but the contents of the heads were plainly browner. Whereas a bit of this same stalk examined after 2° 45' showed plenty of segregated masses. Hence it appears that this subsequent change of segregated spheres into granular opake takes place. Moreover the longer Hairs had become plainly even with simple lens of a brownish tint, with dark granular matter adhering to walls of cells. The basal cell & sometimes the 2 or 3 basal cells were not opake, which looks as if change had travelled from the head downwards; but I am not sure. (No)

Subsequent

(5

P. Sinensis

Jan. 27-28 - Exposed a peduncle with cut end sealed up under glass to Vapour of about 2 gr. of C. of Am. for 18° 15' - got rather dried - No segregation within any head contents of all heads of both short & long-hair- bright yellow & opakish. The lining of the cells had shrunk, from walls of cells of many of long-Hairs I noticed trace of this yesterday. The basal cells were brown & contained granules in most; but in some hardly, & in most rather paler than other & upper cells- yet this fact rather support view that C. of Am is absorbed by Head & works down hair. Certainly in many cases basal cell can become brown.

Feb. 1st - Similar Hairs on the leaves, both on upper & lower surface & on edge, & on footstalks of leaves. Millions in number altogether - Secretion, it is slightly adhesive & yellow in colour. In parts there is little, in parts there is much secretion - Examined with 1/4 the leaves, no spheres in in their Heads; but after Sol. of. Amm.

(6

P. Sinensis

of 4 gr to 1 oz. for 30' some segregation.

(V) Put in pedicel of [illeg] with end sealed up with pinch of C. of Am. under glass, in 10' some considerable segregation & endochrome beginning to separate from walls in lower cells of Hairs. Another spec. in 50' much segregation & endochrome separating, cells of brownish. In 1° 50 from commencement much segregation, but I think I see traces of the spheres breaking up & blending into diffused granular & browner matter in 5° 30', I examined a multitude of Hairs, & only 2 or 3 short ones contained spheres; all the rest included brown, opaker granular matter: Endochrome much separated. So certainly this second change does take place

subsequent

(7

P. Sinensis

young flowers

Footstalk of flower in Sol. of C. of Am. 4 gr to 1 oz. in 2° 10' a moderate quantity of segregation in 5° 50' some few Heads yet show spheres; in 8° 30' out of very many only 2 or 3 short & 3 long showed spheres; so 2d process had certainly taken place to large extent.

[in margin:] subsequent action

I looked carefully to the browning process of lower cells of long Hairs, does not appear to travel from gland downwards. Either the Amm. is absorbed by each cell, or it travels up from stem, as I suspected from the Hairs near cut-off ends of stalk being browner; but I never saw evidence of this process of travelling up; nor does it look like it, that the stalks sealed at end with wax under vapour become brown.

Probably the amm. acts solely more apparently on Head, for this being gland & containing mor matter to be acted on.

[bis 7]

I always choose young unopened flowers

We may look at it as certain those Heads absorb, & apparently much quicker than walls of lower cells.

(8

P. Sinensis

Feb 1. I put whole same plant under a large Bell-glass, with only 2 gr of solid carb. of am. on support at 9° 31' - In 2° examined multitude of Hairs on flower peduncle no segregation - In 6° no segregation, yet colour of flowers affected slightly showing that vapour was diffused. In 24° no segregation - In 48° no segregation in peduncle of flowers. But the Hairs on the leaves which hung over the edge of pot had the contents of their heads dark brown in 2d stage & all endochrome of cells much separated - These leaves were withered & next day were dead; yet not nearly all the 2 gr. of Am was evaporated & Bell-glass hardly was in light. Do leaves catch nearly all (not all as shown by flowers changed) the C. of am? Or do the Hairs of flower-peduncles not readily absorb, C. of Am?

(9

P. Sinensis

Hung gr. of C. of Am. in bag of gauze over plant under Bell glass, twice over; in one case on 19° no action clear - in 2d case kept plant for 41° 30' no action. This makes me quite doubt whether these Hairs are absorbers of C. of Ammonia.

Anyhow we have fact of segregation in secreting terminal cells, & odd fact of redivision of contents. Both by solution & vapou