Summary

WTT-D’s suggestion about absorbent function of pegs in Abronia suggests origin of pegs in Welwitschia, which deeply interests CD. Previously could not see how pegs became large enough to be of mechanical use. Now thinks tissue between hypocotyl and radicle absorbs fluid, which would favour rise of peg to expose larger surface.

Rejects German contempt for investigating use of organs.

Asks WTT-D to observe how worms draw Robinia leaves into burrows.

Summary

Thanks for seeds and plants.

News of Francis and Horace Darwin.

Summary

CD hopes his book [Movement in plants] will be worth the effort WTT-D has put into getting plants for him; fears he has achieved little.

Summary

Wants Impatiens seeds, in order to observe movements of cotyledons.

Summary

Wants some plants for sleep-movement observations. Has almost finished experimental work and must start sorting his notes.

Summary

"Frank and I are working very hard on ""bloom"" and sleep" [movements]. Asks for succulent species for experiment.

Summary

Would like specimen of Cassia mimosoides.

Offers books to R. I. Lynch in return for services rendered.

Summary

Movements of flower-stalks of Oxalis.

Summary

Wants a plant that shows interesting sleep movements identified.

Summary

Has made out some of the functions of "bloom", which he outlines.

Summary

Letter from Gaston de Saporta.

Germination of onion.

Summary

Movements in cotyledons; outlines tracing technique. [A tracing of movements of red cabbage cotyledon enclosed.]

Summary

Discusses plants to be sent to Kew.

Thanks for letter about Trifolium

and for R. I. Lynch’s observations on sleep of Erythrina.

Mentions letter from F. J. Cohn, dealing with discovery by Francis Darwin, that CD has had printed in Nature ["The contractile filaments of the teasel", Nature 16 (1877): 339; Collected papers 2: 205–7].

Summary

Wants a Euphorbia to test for leaf movements.

Summary

Federico Delpino on mechanical movements of flower parts of Maranta. CD’s observations on Maranta, and his eagerness to compare cases of movement and irritability in plants.

Summary

Thanks R. I. Lynch for his MS on Averrhoa.

Summary

Cactus and Cycas seedlings: observations and queries.

Working hard on plant movements.

Summary

Wishes to identify a species of Cassia whose movements interest him.

Summary

Thanks him for various plants sent for experiments.

Frank [Darwin] has been feeding Drosera meat to study differences between fed and unfed plants.

Summary

Must stop work on "bloom" and leaf movements if he is ever to get anything published on Drosera, etc.

Sends thanks for seeds. Encloses memorandum in case WTT-D wishes to communicate information to Royal Horticultural Society. Has not time to prepare article.

Discusses condition of plants borrowed from Kew.