RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1874. experiments by placing leaves in warm water. CUL-DAR57.8. (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).


8

April 12 — 1874 experiments by placing leaves in warm water & not using C. of Ammonia

Temp.

150°

2 tin (1 lead) put in

8O 9 57

(1)

145 145°

Pin

8O. 9 58'

(2)

140°

(2 lead)

8O 9 59

(soon become a little had become little inflected on both sides from being touched

3

130°

2 tins put in by mistake at 130° & raised to 150°

8O 9 55

& left in take water to 150°

(4)

125

1 tin

a little inflected left hand

9. 2'

5

120

O mark

9. 4'

—(6)


   New leaf

Fresh. experiment

Temp. 130° water. waved for 1m.    certainly caused aggregation   
Looked at under compound [microscope] effect as soon as I could    effect oscilation arrange micrometer, in 2m or 3m

Temp 125° fell to 119 waved about for 2m, great inflection in. 2m to 3m or 4m when looked red protoplasm had shrunk a little from walls of all the cells, down to base of tentacles; & some elongated oval masses aggregate protoplasm shrank from cell walls all tents. finely inflected — aggregation down to base — cannot be exosmose —       This cd hardy be exosmose so quickly.—
   5.O p.m tentacles in nearly same state; so spherical masses are not formed 10O P.m.   I thought protoplasm somewhat dissolved
April— 14th 7O 8 45 In some of tentacles I am nearly sure entirely dissolved but not in others
   (add few spheres for warmth)    (Ap 15th nil 8O A m Greatly Redissolved)    3O Pm much smaller & 2 have disappeared

diagram

1O
7O 8 45'
??
no

8v

(6.)    10O 30' very little inflection & no agg.
Tem 120°.    waved for 1m. Single M. .— (11O no aggregation to speak of after 1h. 26m except a trace in a few inflected tentacles & here only here only a trace

(1)    10O 40'    glands all white no aggregation    perhaps finely granular.    150° Glands white    after 1h 43m

(2)    10O 41    glands all white (145° nil Fahr)
140°    no aggregation.    after 1h 42m 43


31    10O 44'    glands all white (140° Fahrn.)
   a good deal of inflection no aggregation
      after 1h. 44m    leaves left in water to cool    Hot House plant


(4)    glands all white    put in at 130 & raise to 150
   some inflection    no aggregation—

after 1h 46m.


(5) 10O 55'— to 11O — ie 2 Hours a great deal of inflection.    all tents very bright red
(pink)    certainly some aggregation —(12O strongly marked aggr. but not spherical)

Temp. 125° after '3h.' below After 1h. 48m.       after 3h.

Read all that is important


Return to homepage

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

File last updated 30 November, 2025