Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
Gossypium herbaceum: Sensitiveness of the apex of the Radicle.—Radicles
were experimented on in the same manner as before, but they proved
ill-fitted for our purpose, as they soon became unhealthy when
suspended in damp air. Of 38 radicles thus suspended, at temperatures
varying from 66° to 69° F., with squares of card attached to their
tips, 9 were plainly and 7 slightly or even doubtfully deflected from
the squares and from the perpendicular; 22 not being affected. We
thought that perhaps the above temperature was not high enough, so 19
radicles with attached squares, likewise suspended in damp air, were
subjected to a temperature of from 74° to 79° F., but not one of them
was acted on, and they soon became unhealthy. Lastly, 19 radicles were
suspended in water at a temperature from 70° to 75° F., with bits of
glass or squares of the card attached to their tips by means of
Canada-balsam or asphalte, which adhered rather better than shellac
beneath the water. The radicles did not keep healthy for long. The
result was that 6 were plainly and 2 doubtfully deflected from the
attached objects and the perpendicular; 11 not being affected. The
evidence consequently is hardly conclusive, though from the two sets of
cases tried under a moderate temperature, it is probable that the
radicles are sensitive to contact; and would be more so under
favourable conditions.
Fifteen radicles which had germinated in friable peat were suspended
vertically over water. Seven of them served as controls, and they
remained quite straight during 24 h. The tips of the other eight
radicles
were just touched with dry caustic on one side. After only 5 h. 10 m.
five of them were slightly curved from the perpendicular and from the
side bearing the little blackish marks. After 8 h. 40 m., 4 out of
these 5 were deflected at angles between 15° and 65° from the
perpendicular. On the other hand, one which had been slightly curved
after 5 h. 10 m., now became straight. After 24 h. the curvature in two
cases had considerably increased; also in four other cases, but these
latter radicles had now become so contorted, some being turned upwards,
that it could no longer be ascertained whether they were still curved
from the cauterised side. The control specimens exhibited no such
irregular growth, and the two sets presented a striking contrast. Out
of the 8 radicles which had been touched with caustic, two alone were
not affected, and the marks left on their tips by the caustic were
extremely minute. These marks in all cases were oval or elongated; they
were measured in three instances, and found to be of nearly the same
size, viz. 2/3 of a mm. in length. Bearing this fact in mind, it should
be observed that the length of the curved part of the radicle, which
had become deflected from the cauterised side in the course of 8 h. 40
m. was found to be in three cases 6, 7, and 9 mm.
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