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
_Tropæolum peregrinum_.—The first-formed internodes of a young plant did
not revolve, resembling in this respect those of a twining plant. In an
older plant the four upper internodes made three irregular revolutions,
in a course opposed to the sun, at an average rate of 1 hr. 48 min. It
is remarkable that the average rate of revolution (taken, however, but
from few observations) is very nearly the same in this and the two last
species, namely, 1 hr. 47 m., 1 hr. 46 m., and 1 hr. 48 m. The present
species cannot twine spirally, which seems mainly due to the rigidity of
the stem. In a very young plant, which did not revolve, the petioles
were not sensitive. In older plants the petioles of quite young leaves,
and of leaves as much as an inch and a quarter in diameter, are
sensitive. A moderate rub caused one to curve in 10 m., and others in 20
m. They became straight again in between 5 hrs. 45 m. and 8 hrs.
Petioles which have naturally come into contact with a stick, sometimes
take two turns round it. After they have clasped a support, they become
rigid and hard. They are less sensitive to a weight than in the previous
species; for loops of string weighing 0.82 of a grain (53.14 mg.), did
not cause any curvature, but a loop of double this weight (1.64 gr.)
acted.
_Tropæolum elegans_.—I did not make many observations on this species.
The short and stiff internodes revolve irregularly, describing small oval
figures. One oval was completed in 3 hrs. A young petiole, when rubbed,
became slightly curved in 17 m.; and afterwards much more so. It was
nearly straight again in 8 hrs.
_Tropæolum tuberosum_.—On a plant nine inches in height, the internodes
did not move at all; but on an older plant they moved irregularly and
made small imperfect ovals. These movements could be detected only by
being traced on a bell-glass placed over the plant. Sometimes the shoots
stood still for hours; during some days they moved only in one direction
in a crooked line; on other days they made small irregular spires or
circles, one being completed in about 4 hrs. The extreme points reached
by the apex of the shoot were only about one or one and a half inches
asunder; yet this slight movement brought the petioles into contact with
some closely surrounding twigs, which were then clasped. With the
lessened power of spontaneously revolving, compared with that of the
previous species, the sensitiveness of the petioles is also diminished.
These, when rubbed a few times, did not become curved until half an hour
had elapsed; the curvature increased during the next two hours, and then
very slowly decreased; so that they sometimes required 24 hrs. to become
straight again. Extremely young leaves have active petioles; one with
the lamina only 0.15 of an inch in diameter, that is, about a twentieth
of the full size, firmly clasped a thin twig. But leaves grown to a
quarter of their full size can likewise act.
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