Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
(1.) Sarracenia purpurea (Sarraceneae, Fam. 11).—A young leaf, or
pitcher, 8½ inches in height, with the bladder swollen but with the
hood not as yet open, had a filament fixed transversely
across its apex; it was observed for 48 h., and during the whole of
this time it circumnutated in a nearly similar manner, but to a very
small extent. The tracing given (Fig. 93) relates only to the movement
during the first 26 h.
(2) Glaucium luteum (Papaveraceae, Fam. 12).—A young plant, bearing
only 8 leaves, had a filament attached to the youngest leaf but one,
which was 3 inches in length, including the petiole. The circumnutating
movement was traced during 47 h. On both days the leaf descended from
before 7 A.M. until about 11 A.M., and then ascended slightly during
the rest of the day and the early part of the night. During the latter
part of the night it fell greatly. It did not ascend so much during the
second as during the first day, and it descended considerably lower on
the second night than on the first. This difference was probably due to
the illumination from above having been insufficient during the two
days of observation. Its course during the two days is shown in Fig.
94.
Fig. 94. Glaucium luteum: circumnutation of young leaf, traced from
9.30 A.M. June 14th to 8.30 A.M. 16th. Tracing not much magnified, as
apex of leaf stood only 5½ inches from the glass.
(3.) Crambe maritima (Cruciferae, Fam. 14).—A leaf 9½ inches in length
on a plant not growing vigorously was first observed. Its apex was in
constant movement, but this could hardly be traced, from being so small
in extent. The apex, however, certainly changed its course at least 6
times in the course of 14 h. A more vigorous young plant, bearing only
4 leaves, was then selected, and a filament was affixed to the midrib
of the third leaf from the base, which, with the petiole, was 5 inches
in length. The leaf stood up almost vertically, but the tip
was deflected, so that the filament projected almost horizontally, and
its movements were traced during 48 h. on a vertical glass as shown in
the accompanying figure (Fig. 95). We here plainly see that the leaf
was continually circumnutating; but the proper periodicity of its
movements was disturbed by its being only dimly illuminated from above
through a double skylight. We infer that this was the case, because two
leaves on plants growing out of doors, had their angles above the
horizon measured in the middle of the day and at 9 to about 10 P.M. on
successive nights, and they were found at this latter hour to have
risen by an average angle of 9° above their mid-day position: on the
following morning they fell to their former position. Now it may be
observed in the diagram that the leaf rose during the second night, so
that it stood at 6.40 A.M. higher than at 10.20 P.M. on the preceding
night; and this may be attributed to the leaf adjusting itself to the
dim light, coming exclusively from above.
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