The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1874.04.04. Passiflora gracilis. CUL-DAR66.31. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 3.2023. 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 volume CUL-DAR66 contains notes on 'bloom'. Francis Darwin explained: "His researches into the meaning of the 'bloom,' or waxy coating found on many leaves, was one of those inquiries which remained unfinished at the time of his death. He amassed a quantity of notes on the subject". LL3: 339. See an Introduction to these folders by Christine Chua & John van Wyhe.

[31]

1874

Passiflora gracilis

April. 4. I syringed violently & repeatedly 2 or 3 plants, having first measured angles of leaves, & there was no more depression than can be accounted for by leaves being beaten down, for I find that if a leaf be roughly depressed several times it does not rise to its former level. The leaves & young fruit, & the under sides of leaves are beautifully protected by bloom, as after all the syringing there was scarcely a drop of water on them.

― 9°. 45' H. & F. [Horace and Francis] Neither plant asleep.!!! What can meaning be. H. recollects that last year all leaflets vertically down. Ap. 5'. It seems that the leaves do go to sleep. (but ~~not~~ do not hang nearly so vertically down as formerly)

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