Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
(7.) Pelargonium zonale (Geraniaceae, Fam. 47).—A young leaf, 1 1/4
inch in breadth, with its petiole 1 inch long, borne on a young plant,
was observed in the usual manner during 61 h.; and its course is shown
in the preceding figure (Fig. 98). During the first day and night the
leaf moved downwards, but circumnutated between 10 A.M. and 4.30 P.M.
On the second day it sank and rose again, but between 10 A.M. and 6
P.M. it circumnutated on an extremely small scale. On the third day the
circumnutation was more plainly marked.
(8.) Cissus discolor (Ampelideae, Fam. 67).—A leaf, not nearly
full-grown, the third from the apex of a shoot on a cut-down plant, was
observed during 31 h. 30 m. (see Fig. 99). The day was cold (15°–16°
C.), and if the plant had been observed in the hot-house, the
circumnutation, though plain enough as it was, would probably have been
far more conspicuous.
Fig. 99. Cissus discolor: circumnutation of leaf, traced from 10.35
A.M. May 28th to 6 P.M. 29th. Apex of leaf 8 3/4 inches from the
vertical glass.
(9.) Vicia faba (Leguminosae, Fam. 75).—A young leaf, 3.1 inches in
length, measured from base of petiole to end of leaflets, had a
filament affixed to the midrib of one of the two terminal leaflets, and
its movements were traced during 51½ h. The filament fell all morning
(July 2nd) till 3 P.M., and then rose greatly till 10.35 P.M.; but the
rise this day was so great, compared with that which subsequently
occurred, that it was probably due in part to the plant being
illuminated from above. The latter part of the course on July 2nd is
alone given in the following figure (Fig. 100). On the next day (July
3rd) the leaf again fell in the morning, then circumnutated in a
conspicuous manner, and rose till late at night; but the movement was
not traced after 7.15 P.M., as by that time the filament pointed
towards the upper edge of the glass. During the latter part of the
night or early morning it again fell in the same manner as before.
As the evening rise and the early morning fall were unusually large,
the angle of the petiole above the horizon was measured at the two
periods, and the leaf was found to have risen 19° between 12.20 P.M.
and 10.45 P.M., and to have fallen 23° 30 seconds between the latter
hour and 10.20 A.M. on the following morning.
Fig. 100. Vicia faba: circumnutation of leaf, traced from 7.15 P.M.
July 2nd to 10.15 A.M. 4th. Apex of the two terminal leaflets 7 1/4
inches from the vertical glass. Figure here reduced to two-thirds of
original scale. Temp. 17°–18° C.
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