The Movements and Habits of Climbing PlantsDarwin, Charles
Science
The Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants
Darwin, Charles
Climbing plants; Geotropism; Plants; Plants -- Irritability and movements
When a free shoot has grown far beyond its support, it sinks downwards
from its weight, as already explained in the case of the Hop, with the
revolving extremity turned upwards. If the support be not lofty, the
shoot falls to the ground, and resting there, the extremity rises up.
Sometimes several shoots, when flexible, twine together into a cable, and
thus support one another. Single thin depending shoots, such as those of
the _Sollya Drummondii_, will turn abruptly backwards and wind up on
themselves. The greater number of the depending shoots, however, of one
twining plant, the _Hibbertia dentata_, showed but little tendency to
turn upwards. In other cases, as with the _Cryptostegia grandiflora_,
several internodes which were at first flexible and revolved, if they did
not succeed in twining round a support, become quite rigid, and
supporting themselves upright, carried on their summits the younger
revolving internodes.
Here will be a convenient place to give a Table showing the direction and
rate of movement of several twining plants, with a few appended remarks.
These plants are arranged according to Lindley’s ‘Vegetable Kingdom’ of
1853; and they have been selected from all parts of the series so as to
show that all kinds behave in a nearly uniform manner. {24}
The Rate of Revolution of various Twining Plants.
(ACOTYLEDONS.)
_Lygodium scandens_ (Polypodiaceæ) moves against the sun.
H. M.
June 18, 1st circle was made in 6 0
18, 2nd 6 15 (late in evening)
19, 3rd 5 32 (very hot day)
19, 4th 5 0 (very hot day)
20, 5th 6 0
_Lygodium articulatum_ moves against the sun.
H. M.
July 19, 1st circle was made in 16 30 (shoot very young)
20, 2nd 15 0
21, 3rd 8 0
22, 4th 10 30
(MONOCOTYLEDONS.)
_Ruscus androgynus_ (Liliaceæ), placed in the hot-house, moves against
the sun.
H. M.
May 24, 1st circle was made in 6 14 (shoot very young)
25, 2nd 2 21
25, 3rd 3 37
25, 4th 3 22
26, 5th 2 50
27, 6th 3 52
27, 7th 4 11
_Asparagus_ (unnamed species from Kew) (Liliaceæ) moves against the sun,
placed in hothouse.
H. M.
Dec. 26, 1st circle was made in 5 0
27, 2nd 5 40
_Tamus communis_ (Dioscoreaceæ). A young shoot from a tuber in a pot
placed in the greenhouse: follows the sun.
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