To J. D. Hooker   24 November 1873

Down, | Beckenham, Kent.

Nov. 24 1873.

My dear Hooker

I have been greatly interested by Mimosa Albida, on which I have been working hard. Whilst yr memory is pretty fresh, I want to ask a question: When this plant was most sensitive & you irritated it, did the opposite leaflets shut up quite close, as occurs during sleep, when even a lancet cd not be inserted between the leaflets? I can never cause the leaflets to come into contact, & some reasons make me doubt whether they ever do so, except during sleep; & this makes me wish much to hear from you.1 I grieve to say that tho’ plant looks more unhealthy even than it was at Kew, I have nursed it like the tenderest infant; but I was forced to cut off one leaf to try the bloom, & one was broken by the manner of packing. I have never syringed (with tepid water) more than 1 leaf per day; but if it dies, I shall feel like a murderer. I am pretty well convinced that I shall make out my case of movements as a protection against rain lodging on the leaves.2 As far as I have as yet made out M. albida is a splendid case.

I have had no time to examine more than one sp. of Eucalyptus.3 The seedlings of Lathyrus nissolia are very interesting to me;4 & there is something wonderful about them, unless seeds of 2 distinct leguminous species have got somehow mingled together. I have been thinking about Nepenthes, & about various expers which I have tried, & I cannot believe that cutting a hole in the pitcher wd prevent the Carb. of Amm. being absorbed at distant points; or the glands secreting.5 I wd certainly try again. If you have plenty of pitchers, cd you not dry one with blotting paper, & after from 6 to 18 hrs or whatever time you think best cut it longitudinally & gently open,! & surely you cd then see the points of secretion.

yours affectly | Ch. Darwin

LS(A)

1
Hooker had observed Mimosa albida at Kew, and had sent CD a specimen (letters from J. D. Hooker, [8 November 1872] and 17 [November 1873]). CD remarked on the insensitivity of the leaves to touch, and on the movement of the leaflets when the plant went to ‘sleep’ in Movement in plants, pp. 127, 380.
2
CD had been experimenting on the possible harmful effects of water on leaves (see letter to T. H. Farrer, 10 August [1873]). He did not include any of these observations in Movement in plants.
3
CD had received various specimens of Eucalyptus from Hooker (see letter to J. D. Hooker, [9 November 1873], and letter from J. D. Hooker, 17 [November 1873]).
4
CD described the movements of the stem of a young seedling of Lathyrus nissolia in Movement in plants, pp. 33–4.
5
CD had been advising Hooker on experiments on the digestive properties of Nepenthes (see letter to J. D. Hooker, 3 November [1873]).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.12 As … case. 1.13] added in CD’s hand; large brace on left
2.4 about] interl in CD’s hand
2.8 or … best] interl in CD’s hand
2.8 & gently] interl in CD’s hand

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9158,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9158