RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1872-1873]. ['On the movement of the leaves of Drosera'], folio 110. CUL-DAR61.103. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 12.2022. 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.
[103]
(110
(aggregation)
(a leaf was immersed in a solution of two grains of this salt pure Carbonate of Potash in one ounce of water, in order to observe its power in inducing segregation.
It acted in nearly the same manner, at as the carbonate of soda, but rather more energetically.
After 1º had elapsed, spherical, masses of brown pretty matter had aggregated segregated themselves in in water the cells beneath the oval & elongated glands; & after 2º 30' these were became were numerous but [2 words illeg] in appearance thus produced by carbonate of ammonia. Before this period had elapsed the exterior & terminal cells of some of the glands themselves had become almost empty, the brown matter being having aggregated collected in the more central cells.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 23 February, 2026