RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1874].07.20. Utricularia. CUL-DAR59.1.159-160. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 10.2022. 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 volumes CUL-DAR 54-61 contain material for Darwin's book Insectivorous plants (1875).

Utricularia is a genus of carnivorous plants known as bladderworts. These notes are for Darwin, C. R. 1875. Insectivorous plants. London: John Murray. (F1217)


(8

Utricularia

July 20th The globular head, unicellular, the glands on margin & on valve have a nucleus & a layer of protoplasm all round walls. This layer in all the spec those immersed in solutions of N. of amm & C. of ammonia & raw meat is shrunk & sometimes ruptured, & no movement can be seen.— Can this be due to water of foot-[illeg] having become foul? The glands of quite young & clean bladders are in this state (a). They certainly were not so when we began our examination. — I can now judge of the effect of no solution. The glands on sides of orifice turn towards opening — The glands with long footstalks, which rise from the valve, also point towards the orifice.

[8v]

I left glands in this condition for 3 or 4h in sol. of 4 gr. to 1 oz of C. of ammonia & the aggregation did not in the least increase. Neither Frank nor self could ever see any movement in protoplasm in this state.

These globular headed hairs can hardly & called "glands".—

Yet the plants are flowering & growing & seem perfectly healthy.

(9

Utricularia

Huxley looked at quadrifid spines, at the little oval or globular body in each, undergoing Brownian movement & never saw such a thing, more like similar bodies in Chara.— [illeg] only 1 in each spine, but sometimes 2 or 3. Generally at base, but sometime in middle or near apex of spine.

C. of Amm makes lining of protoplasm of quadrifid hairs to shrink. — little spheres in pedicels of long glands on Valves


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

File last updated 5 November, 2022