RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1872-1873]. ['On the movement of the leaves of Drosera'], folio 106. CUL-DAR61.102. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 2.2026. RN2
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).
The volume CUL-DAR61 contains Darwin's draft essay 'On the movement of the leaves of Drosera', written 1872-1873. He intended to publish this with a revised edition of Climbing plants before commencing a larger book draft in April 1874 which became Insectivorous plants. See the introduction to this essay by John van Wyhe.
Draft partly corresponds to Insectivorous plants, p. 50.
[102]
(106
(Used)
the Control of the fluid within the cells of both the elongated & oval glands but becoming begun to aggregate brownish & the fluid content of the cells were beginning to aggregate into a few if into now brown such spherical recesses spherical uses. After 2° & 2° 30' these recesses seemed almost disintegrated pulpy, & some of the cells soon afterwards appeared empty. The appearance of the recesses which remained we had a wholly different a appearance from those produced formed ought to through the action of the same relation a of carbonate of ammonia, or sp or of a dead insects.)
Nitrate of soda. (in pure as imported from Peru). Half-minim drops of a solution of four grains to the ounce were placed in the discs of these base leaves: after 23° almost every tentacle & the lamina of one of the leaves were closely inflected. No segregation was caused by the immersion of a leaf for 2° in a solution of two trains to the ounce. First leaves were [excised] treated & the case m Half-minim of a
[lower half of page excised]
minim: "The smallest unit of fluid measure, about equivalent to one drop of liquid; the sixtieth part of a fluid drachm." OED.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 23 February, 2026