From Daniel Oliver   [28 January – 8 February 1864]1

Botanists have no choice but to regard some tendrils as leaf—, & others as stem-formations. 2

In Vitis there seems no room whatever for a doubt but that the tendril is an axial or stem-structure. Analogy with other plants buildt up of similar sympodia—as they are called—or superimposed axes3—& especy the tendency constantly shewn in some vines to bear flowers upon tendrils appear to me to settle their case sufficiently.—

Passiflora is much more perplexing. From analogy I shd. expect the nature of their tendrils to be similar to that of Gourd-tendrils.

Some, however, do look as tho’ they might be axillary branches. They may, however, be the modified first leaf of an axilly. (or slightly extra-axilly.) shoot.4

I do not recollect seeing any clear discussion about Passion-flower tendrils & have carefully examined them.—5

Clematis. The genus Naravelia (close to Clematis) has the terminal leaflet & upper lateral leaflets converted into tendrils like Pea.6

mem

CD annotations

Bottom of page: ‘Tendrils’ pencil
1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter, the enclosure attached to the letter to J. D. Hooker, [27 January 1864], and the letter to J. D. Hooker, [8 February 1864].
3
Sympodium: ‘An apparent axis or stem in a dichotomously branched plant, made up of the bases of successive branches so arranged as to resemble a simple or monopodial axis’ (OED).
4
Oliver is comparing Passiflora tendrils with those of gourds, a member of the Cucurbitaceae. For a definition of ‘axillary’, see the letter to David Oliver, 11 March [1864] and n. 7; see also letter from Daniel Oliver, 12 March 1864 and n. 4.
5
For CD’s eventual conclusions about the genesis of tendrils in the Vitaceae and in the Passifloraceae, which include passion flowers, see letter to J. D. Hooker, [27 January 1864] and n. 20. See also letter from Daniel Oliver, 12 March 1864.
6
Clematis and Naravelia were both members of the Ranunculaceae. For a reference by CD to Naravelia, see ‘Climbing plants’, pp. 34, 112.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-4398F,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-4398F