Tree-trunk swellings, a parallelepiped, and impact of motion
A red-chalk note on how roots shape trunks, plus geometry, a memorandum of chestnut poles, and a note on impact.
This right-hand page gathers several of Leonardo's late interests. A red-chalk sketch of a tree trunk accompanies a note explaining that the swollen, globular surface of trunks is caused by the roots that feed the tree, the bark cracking more where nourishment is scarce. A pen memorandum records localities and prices for chestnut poles and for large, hard white celery, while smaller figures include a parallelepiped divided into four squares with diagonals and a note that impact reveals the incident motion to exceed the reflected motion. Some faint red-chalk figures on the sheet remain indeterminate.
On this page
Swellings on tree trunks are formed by the roots that feed them
The trunks of trees have a globular, swollen surface caused by their roots, which carry nourishment to the tree. Where the swellings rise the bark has few cracks; in the hollows between them the bark is full of splits, because there the nourishment arrives in lesser abundance. The trunk is lettered c, a, d, b.
Incident motion prevails over reflected motion
A note beside a circle resting on an oblique rod states that percussion (impact) reveals the incident motion to be greater than the reflected motion.
Parallelepiped divided into four squares with diagonals
A geometric figure shows a parallelepiped divided into four squares crossed by various diagonals.
Where to find chestnut poles and white celery
A memorandum records that at Santa Maria in the valley of Ranvagnan, in the mountains of Briganzia, there are chestnut poles of 9 and 14 braccia (5 lire per 100 of the 9-braccia size), and that at Veral di Pombio near Sesto on the Ticino the white celery-stalks are large and hard.