Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
(5.) Dianthus caryophyllus (Caryophylleae, Fam. 26).—The
terminal shoot of a young plant, growing very vigorously, was selected
for observation. The young leaves at first stand up vertically and
close together, but they soon bend outwards and downwards, so as to
become horizontal, and often at the same time a little to one side. A
filament was fixed to the tip of a young leaf whilst still highly
inclined, and the first dot was made on the vertical glass at 8.30 A.M.
June 13th, but it curved downwards so quickly that by 6.40 A.M. on the
following morning it stood only a little above the horizon. In Fig. 96
the long, slightly zigzag line representing this rapid downward course,
which was somewhat inclined to the left, is not given; but the figure
shows the highly tortuous and zigzag course, together with some loops,
pursued during the next 2½ days. As the leaf continued to move all the
time to the left, it is evident that the zigzag line represents many
circumnutations.
Fig. 96. Dianthus caryophyllus: circumnutation of young leaf, traced
from 10.15 P.M. June 13th to 10.35 P.M. 16th. Apex of leaf stood, at
the close of our observations, 8 3/4 inches from the vertical glass, so
tracing not greatly magnified. The leaf was 5 1/4 inches long. Temp.
15½°–17½° C.
(6.) Camellia Japonica (Camelliaceae, Fam. 32).—A youngish leaf, which
together with its petiole was 2 3/4 inches in length and which arose
from a side branch on a tall bush, had a filament attached to its apex.
This leaf sloped downwards at an angle of 40° beneath the horizon. As
it was thick and rigid, and its
petiole very short, much movement could not be expected. Nevertheless,
the apex changed its course completely seven times in the course of 11½
h., but moved to only a very small distance. On the next day the
movement of the apex was traced during 26 h. 20 m. (as shown in Fig.
97), and was nearly of the same nature, but rather less complex. The
movement seems to be periodical, for on both days the leaf
circumnutated in the forenoon, fell in the afternoon (on the first day
until between 3 and 4 P.M., and on the second day until 6 P.M.), and
then rose, falling again during the night or early morning.
Fig. 97. Camellia Japonica: circumnutation of leaf, traced from 6.40
A.M. June 14th to 6.50 A.M. 15th. Apex of leaf 12 inches from the
vertical glass, so figure considerably magnified. Temp. 16°–16½° C.
In the chapter on the Sleep of Plants we shall see that the leaves in
several Malvaceous genera sink
Fig. 98. Pelargonium zonale: circumnutation and downward movement of
young leaf, traced from 9.30 A.M. June 14th to 6.30 P.M. 16th. Apex of
leaf 9 1.4 inches from the vertical glass, so figure moderately
magnified. Temp. 15°–16½° C.
at night; and as they often do not then occupy a vertical position,
especially if they have not been well illuminated during
the day, it is doubtful whether some of these cases ought not to have
been included in the present chapter.
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