Summary

Is forwarding the writing machine to Carl Semper.

Is glad FD has taken up his old friends, the twiners.

Hopes to get heliotropic aerial roots from J. D. Hooker. Asks FD to find out whether any moulds or roots are apheliotropic. Is puzzled by heliotropism in subterranean roots.

Summary

Sleep in Porlieria studied.

Oats begin germinating.

Summary

He has had no success with horse or Spanish chestnuts.

Summary

More sleepers from green-house.

Julius Sachs’s view of climbing plants: he distinguishes between nutation to find a support and growth after support is found.

Summary

Thanks for sending Nature; plans to leave on 22 May; anecdote about Bernard.

Summary

Discusses sleep movements of Porlieria.

Has read an abstract of Julius Wiesner on heliotropism and geotropism ["Die heliotropischen Erscheinungen im Pflanzenreiche", Anz. Kais. Akad. Wiss. Wien 15 (1878): 137–40] which seems important but is puzzling.

Gives details of his observations on climbing plants with reference to comments by Julius Sachs.

Summary

Many thnks for the pelargonium letter.

Summary

Sleep of Porlieria hygrometrica seems independent of light.

Will have lots of time for oats. W. F. P. Pfeffer’s point is that there is no growth in sleepers with joints. A. F. Batalin says there is a slight growth.

[Dated Saturday 28th by FD.]

Summary

Has been investigating nutational movements of climbing plants; comments on the opinions of Julius von Wiesner and Julius Sachs. Remarks on the sleep movements of certain plants and the mechanism of tendril curvature. Is experimenting with Porlieria.

Has visited K. G. Semper’s laboratory.

Summary

Thinks it would be a good idea to give the typing machine to Karl Semper.

Summary

Asks questions related to movement in plants. The cotyledons of Oxalis offer a promising field for study.

Wonders why Julius von Sachs thinks bloom is a protection against insects.

Encloses notes on the cotyledons of Oxalis species.

Summary

Comments on function of bloom.

Describes the effect of water shortage on sleep movements in Porlieria.

Summary

WM, a pharmaceutical chemist, sends Stoddard’s pure sea-salts.

Bolton, the chemist FD mentioned, is dead and his books were probably destroyed. His successor, Linford, went bankrupt.

Summary

Describes sleep movements in Porlieria and his experiments on movements of radicles.

Thalia flowers have interesting mechanism to ensure cross-fertilisation.

Summary

He has been talking to Julius von Sachs about sleeping plants that move with and without growth.

Summary

Julius von Sachs’s views on stomata seem largely correct, but CD cannot understand how leaves can survive submerged for such long periods.

Has been observing Drosera and concludes that none of the movement of the tentacles is caused by growth.

Suggests observations to show role of pulvinus in leaf movement.

Summary

Suggests sensitive plants that close at night would be protected from nocturnal-feeding snails. JIR’s brother in India says snails occur there in abundance.

Summary

Asks for list of families of sleeping plants. Believes sleep is merely modified circumnutation at a particular time of day.

Porlieria has had no water for some time but shows no sign of flagging.

Describes the response of Thalia flowers to touch.

Summary

Has had conflicting information on the movement of radicles; wants FD to experiment with them.

Summary

JIR’s "theory" of sensitive plants published in an anonymous letter he sent to the Field 2½ years ago. Mechanisms for protection against insects in sensitive plants.