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
This is the largest subdivision, and is apparently the primordial and
simplest condition of the class. My observations will be best given by
taking a few special cases. When the shoot of a Hop (_Humulus lupulus_)
rises from the ground, the two or three first-formed joints or internodes
are straight and remain stationary; but the next-formed, whilst very
young, may be seen to bend to one side and to travel slowly round towards
all points of the compass, moving, like the hands of a watch, with the
sun. The movement very soon acquires its full ordinary velocity. From
seven observations made during August on shoots proceeding from a plant
which had been cut down, and on another plant during April, the average
rate during hot weather and during the day is 2 hrs. 8 m. for each
revolution; and none of the revolutions varied much from this rate. The
revolving movement continues as long as the plant continues to grow; but
each separate internode, as it becomes old, ceases to move.
To ascertain more precisely what amount of movement each internode
underwent, I kept a potted plant, during the night and day, in a
well-warmed room to which I was confined by illness. A long shoot
projected beyond the upper end of the supporting stick, and was steadily
revolving. I then took a longer stick and tied up the shoot, so that
only a very young internode, 1¾ of an inch in length, was left free.
This was so nearly upright that its revolution could not be easily
observed; but it certainly moved, and the side of the internode which was
at one time convex became concave, which, as we shall hereafter see, is a
sure sign of the revolving movement. I will assume that it made at least
one revolution during the first twenty-four hours. Early the next
morning its position was marked, and it made a second revolution in 9
hrs.; during the latter part of this revolution it moved much quicker,
and the third circle was performed in the evening in a little over 3 hrs.
As on the succeeding morning I found that the shoot revolved in 2 hrs. 45
m., it must have made during the night four revolutions, each at the
average rate of a little over 3 hrs. I should add that the temperature
of the room varied only a little. The shoot had now grown 3½ inches in
length, and carried at its extremity a young internode 1 inch in length,
which showed slight changes in its curvature. The next or ninth
revolution was effected in 2 hrs. 30 m. From this time forward, the
revolutions were easily observed. The thirty-sixth revolution was
performed at the usual rate; so was the last or thirty-seventh, but it
was not completed; for the internode suddenly became upright, and after
moving to the centre, remained motionless. I tied a weight to its upper
end, so as to bow it slightly and thus detect any movement; but there was
none. Some time before the last revolution was half performed, the lower
part of the internode ceased to move.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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