RECORD: Darwin, C. R. Note: [1873]. Phosphate of Ammonia. CUL-DAR56.15-19. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Text prepared and edited by John van Wyhe. 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 volumes CUL-DAR 54-61 contain material for Darwin's book Insectivorous plants (1875).
15
Abstracted
(9
Phosphate of Amm 1 gr to 500 oz; but the same quantity of 13 Phosphate of Amm used as in the former experiments viz 1/3200 of a grain, but more diluted — 2 in Phosphate 9. 20' — one in water plain watch glass.—
Water 9. 20' 10. 35' 3 sub-inflected, a good deal Handled. Do not give but give the 2 Phosphates ??
2. 30' several slightly sub-inflected
(July 8th 8. 15' hardly a trace of any inflection)
only [illeg]
Phosphate (black paper) palish leaf 10. 36' — discals tending to make ring 9. 20' (2. 30' discals forming an imperfect some of marginals slightly inflected.
July 8th 8. 15' still a ring, but old marginals reexpanded
Phosphate 9. 20' (paper with mark 10. 37' a large number, I daresay 80 inflected) (2. 30' all, but 38 inflected.) X - X (to 'Phosphate all' below)
5. 30' water only a trace of inflection
― Phosphate, discals forming a good ring, very few others inflected
― Phosphate all but about 32 inflected.
July 8th water 8. 15' hardly a trace of inflection
― Phosphate 8. 15; still a ring but marginals reexpanded
― Phosphate 8. 15; old leaf, fully reexpanded.
135v
30 to 30 = 1. dr. to 400 oz
+ 15 = 500
16
Abstracted
(12
July 10th Phosphate of Amm. 1 gr. to 500 oz of water 14 16
(1) water 10. 38' — 6. 55' a little inflection of marginal & discals
10. 15 Pm the discals formed a slight ring
July 11 8. 5 — They certainly form an obscure ring.— (2. 30' do)
Phosphate 10 27' Young & pale leaf (a little inflected when put in leaf-bud basal corner young leaf)
(6. 55' like the water specimen above) (10. 15' no inflection—)'
(July 11 8. 5; do) (2. 30' do)
See Back of p. 10 for quantity given to each leaf & Dilution—
(2) water 10. 40' (1. 1 inflected) (4° 50' straight) (July 11th 8. 5, O) (2. 30' O)
Phosphate 10. 29' —(10. 36 some over pedicel inflect) (11. 35, This like an [illeg])
(4° 30' 1 inflected) (6. 55' a trace of inflection in the sub-marginals & outer discl)
(10. 15 do) (July 11th. 8. 5', decided traces of irregular inflection in the sub-marginals
(2. 30' do)
(3) water 10. 42' (4 50' ,O) (10. 15', O)
(July 11 8. 10', some inflection of sub-marginals round disc & especially over pedicel.) (2. 30', do)
Phosphate 10. 31' (4° 50', O) (10. 15', O)
(July 11. 8. 10', outer discals somewhat inflected, tending t form 1/2 a ring
(2. 30'. do)
(4) water 10. 43' (4° 50', O) —(10. 15, O) (July 11' 8. 10', O)
(2. 30' do.)
Phosphate 10. 33' (4°, 50', a trace in outer discals
(7. the outer discals a little inflected)
10. 15 a decided ring on disc due to of discal tentacles) the sub-marginals being a little inflected)
(July 11 8. 10', a decided ring, inner sub-marginals decidedly inflected)
(2. 30' I think beginning t reexpand.)
17
Abstracted
14 15 (13
July 10. p. 12 continued
(5) water 11. 2' (10. 50' perhaps a trace in paler discals of inflection on disc (7. do) (10. 15', no action do)
(7°, fully rexpanded.) (July 11, 8. 15' a very imperfect ring on disc.)
(2. 30' do)
Phosphate 10 53' (4° 45' outer discals & extreme inner marginals forming a ring.) — (Thermometer 72. In yet not so hot as yesterday)
(7. The discals forming a distinct ring, & some sub-marginals, sub-inflected)
(10. 15' excellent ring of discals — — — do — do — — do do considerably inflected)
(July 11 8. 15' ring & sub-marginals inflected)
(2. 30' do(
(6) water 11. 3; (1°, 2 inflected) (4°. 50' none inflected) (7°, do) (10. 15, O)
(10. 15, a trace of inflection in the outer discals)
(July 11 8. 15' do) (2. 30' a trace of a ring)
Phosphate 19. 55' a large leaf, oldish. (4° 43' outer discals & extreme inner marginals forming a ring)
(4° 50', here & there a single outer discal inflected) (7. do)
(10. 15 the few ones now strongly inflected.)
(July 11 8. 15' do) (2. 30' do)
(7) water 11. 4' (1. one inflected) (4 55', O) (7°, O) (10. 15, O)
(July 11 8. 15', the outer discals decidedly inflected) (2. 30' do)
Phosphate 10 56' (4° 55' 2 or 3 tents sub-inflected) (10°,. 15' do)
(July 11 8. 15', outer discals with trace of inflection)
(2. 30', do)
(8) water 10. 58' 11. 5' — (5°, O) (7°, O) (10. 15', O)
(July 11 8. 15', O) (2. 30', O)
Phosphate 10. 58' (5°, perhaps a trace of inflection on disc)
(7. a decided trace of a ring on the disc)
(10. 15', a decided ring on the disc & some of the shorter sub-marginal subinflected)
(July 11 8. 15' do) (2. 30' do)
(Thyy seem to become inflected & to reexpand slower)
(10. 15' P.m There certainly is a difference between those in the Phosphate & water.)
18
Abstracted
(15B
Phosp. of Ammonia 1 gr. to 400 500 oz. July 24th 18 16
(5.) water 8. 46' (9. 20', 6 inflc) (11°, do) (1. 3' outer discals forming a ring)
(1) (4° 43' do) (25th 8. A m. outer discals & some sub-marginals still forming good ring.)
Phosphate reddish 8. 40' (9. 20' a good deal of I.) (11. many marginals 1/2 sub- inflected)
(1. 3' fully half tentacles — inflected) (4°. 43', do) (25th, 8. discals & sub-marginals still somewhat inflected)
(6.) water (2) 8. 48' (9 21', 1 inflect) (11°, do) (1., do) (4°. 45' fully reexpanded)
(25th 8. do)
28 [-] 21 [=] 7
Phosphate 8. 42' (9. 21' a great large number) (11°, do) (1°, 4' nearly half tentacles inflected)
(4° 45', discals & some sub-marginals near pedicel still forming ring) (25th, 8. still slight inflection of discals & sub-marginals.) (25th, 8. do bit sub-inflection slight)
(7.) water (3) 8. 49' '(9. 22' 3 inflect) (11°, do) (1. 5' ,do).
(4° 45' marginals expanded, discals on one side sub-inflected) (25th 8. but sub-inflect slight)
17 [+] 22 [=] 29
Phosphate redd. 8°. 43' 12 (9. 22' a large number) (11. 1', all but 25 inflect & these chiefly extreme disc margin)
(1. 5', all but 16 inflected) (4°. 45' same state) (25th, 8. outer discals & sub-marginls still sub-inflected — I see much segregation in these .) (But 1 also see seg. in the water ones, Nor 8)
(8.) water 4 8. 50' (9. 23' a largish no of marginls) (11. 2' 23 inflected, marginals)
(1. 5'. discls forming a ring, with several marginls inflected) (4° 45', do)
(25th 8. 5' do.)
Phosphate 8°. 45' (9. 23' [-] 15 [=] 8 a large number of tent inflected) (11°, 3' about 28 inflected besides discals)
(1. 5' about 1/3 of tent. inflected) (4° 45' much reexpanded)
(25th 8°, 5' still trace of sub-inflect in sub-marginal over pedicel)
— 8. 48' some inflection in all the Phosphates
(over)
18v
(July 24th In these experiments p. 15 A, B, C. I got the Phosphate weighed in Ch. Lab. at Chatham with great care — took special pain in all measurement — The weather had been very hot 75 to 81° for 3 or 4 previous days & I took special pain in selecting the first leaves which had expanded in greenhouse from fresh plants— so was extra rigorous.—
19
Abstracted
July 24th In these experiments p. 15 A, B, C. I got the Phosphate weighed in Ch. Lab. at Chatham with great care — took special pain in all measurement — The weather had been very hot 75 to 81° for 3 or 4 previous days & I took special pain in selecting the first leaves which had expanded in greenhouse from fresh plants— so was extra rigorous.—
19v
This leaf (12) had 202 tentacles (add to general averages) less 8 not inflected & ∴ perhaps not absorbs [=] 194 which must have absorbed.
Th whole leaf got 1600 [x] 5 [=] 8000 of grain to 100 oz
So whole leaf got 1/8000 of a grain dissolved in 218,750 times by weight of water.
Therefore each gland got
194 tentacles which absorbed [x] 800 [=] 1,552,000.
so that each gland got 1/1,552,000 of a grain of Ph. of Ammonia.—
(3)
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 8 January, 2026