My dear Darwin

The three plants sent in the box to be named¹ are

i The Common scarlet runner Phaseolus Multiflorus, W. = P. coccineus, Lam.²

ii. wild Marjoram, Origanum vulgare³

iii Petunia violacea, Ldl. garden form, perhaps a hybrid.⁴

The dwarf Kidney Bean or Haricot is Phaseolus vulgaris it has ovate striate bracts at the base of the calyx & few flowers—⁵

P. multiflorus has many flowers and rough pods.

The Lobelia ramosa var. Snow-flake was mentioned in the Gardener’s Chronicle for 1866. It is probably a white variety of a W. Australian species L. tenuior R. Br.⁶ A larger form of it was figured in C Bot. Mag. t. 3784 as L. heterophylla⁷

The sweet smelling Marvel of Peru is Mirabilis longiflora, L.

With regard to the absorption of water by leaves Duchartre believes that the aerial parts of plants do not absorb dew deposited upon them (Ann. des sc. nat. 4^e sér. xv. 156)⁸

M^cNab found that detached leaves (end of petiole closed with sealing wax) absorbed from 1.55 to 7.35% of their weight when immersed in water   Detached leaves kept in a saturated atmosphere for 18 hours did not appreciably vary in weight either in sun or shade (Trans. Bot. Soc. Edin. xi. p. 54)⁹   Cailletet points out that the foliage of plants will absorb water if the supply to the roots is insufficient. He particularly points to Bromeliaceæ such as Pourretia which will live for years without possessing any roots if they are occasionally syringed (Ann. des sc. Nat. V^e. sér. xiv. pp. 243–245)¹⁰

E. Faivre finds that the water contained in ascidia is partially reabsorbed by the plant. The experiments were made by introducing into a pitcher a measured quantity of water & then inclosing the pitcher in a dry glass vessel. After the end of some days the water contained in the pitcher together with that exhaled & condensed in the glass vessel was less than the quantity originally introduced—(Revue Scient. Sept^r. 1872 p. 279)¹¹

Linnæus on Sleeping Plants is to be found in Amœnitates academicæ iv 333–350 Somnus plantarum in dissertatione academica propositus præside Dom. doct. Carolo Linnæo a Petro Bremes¹²

The dichogamy of Eucalyptus is not an easy matter to decide. M^r Dyer has looked at E. corynocalyx and thinks it is slightly protandrous but the nature of the stigma makes it difficult to ascertain by inspection the exact point at which it is fit for the reception of pollen.¹³ It seems on the whole, however, to be in arrear of the stamens

We have been trying Mimosa commonly called sensitiva*¹⁴ with water flicked from a brush. It seems to have no effect whatever but the plant is tolerant of more considerable impulses than the blow of a drop of water could give it

The Mimosa at Down is M. pudica

Ever Yours | J D Hooker

*The true sensitiva is Brazilian   The plant usually cultivated as this is N Peruvian M. albida, & is that we have. & experimented upon.¹⁵

M. sensitiva has the leaves only lentē sensibilia¹⁶