Life Movements in Plants, Volume IBose, Jagadis Chandra
Science
Life Movements in Plants, Volume I
Bose, Jagadis Chandra
Growth (Plants); Plants -- Irritability and movements
From results of observation it is found that the tree moves through
its entire length; the fall of the highest point of the trunk is one
metre. The movement is not passive, but an active force is exerted;
the force necessary to counteract this movement is equivalent to the
weight of 47 kilograms: in other words, the force is sufficient to
lift a man off the ground. But far greater force would be required to
restrain the change of curvature of the neck of the hard and rigid tree.
[Illustration: Fig. 3. Record of diurnal movement of the ‘Praying’ Palm
(_Phœnix dactylifera_). Thermographic curve for 24 hours commencing
at 9 in the evening is given in the upper record; the corresponding
diurnal curve of movement of the tree is given in the lower. Successive
dots at intervals of 15 minutes; thick dots at intervals of an hour.]
Before entering into the investigation of the cause of periodic
movement I shall give a general account of its characteristics. A
casual observation would lead one to conclude that the tree lifted
itself at sunrise and prostrated at sunset. But continuous record
obtained with my recorder attached to the upper part of the trunk shows
that the tree was never at rest, but in a state of continuous movement,
which underwent periodic reversals (Fig. 3). The tree attained its
maximum erection at 7 in the morning, after which there is a rapid
movement of fall. The down movement reached its maximum at 3-15 P.M.,
after which it was reversed and the tree erected itself to its greatest
height at 7 next morning. This diurnal periodicity was maintained day
after day.
UNIVERSALITY OF TREE MOVEMENT.
The next question which I wished to investigate was whether the
movement of the particular Faridpur tree was a unique phenomenon.
It appeared more likely that similar movement would, under careful
observation, be detected in all trees. The particular palm tree was
growing at a considerable inclination to the vertical; the movement
of the tree and its leaves became easily noticeable, since the ground
afforded a fixed and striking object of reference. In a tree growing
more or less erect, the movement, if any, would escape notice, since
such movements would be executed with only the empty space as the
background.
[Illustration: Fig. 4. Record of the Sijbaria Palm from noon for 24
hours. Successive dots, at intervals of 15 minutes.]
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