Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
With respect to those cases in which the tip remains always bent or
hooked towards the same side, as in the genera just named, the most
obvious explanation is that the bending is due to continued growth in
excess along the convex side. Wiesner, however, maintains[4] that in
all cases the hooking of the tip is the result of its plasticity and
weight,—a conclusion which from what we have already seen with several
climbing plants is certainly erroneous. Nevertheless, we fully admit
that the weight of the part, as well as geotropism, etc., sometimes
come into play.
[4] ‘Sitzb. der k. Akad. der Wissensch.,’ Vienna, Jan. 1880, p. 16.
Ampelopsis tricuspidata.—This plant climbs by the aid of adhesive
tendrils, and the hooked tips of the shoots do not appear to be of any
service to it. The hooking depends chiefly, as far as we could
ascertain, on the tip being affected by epinasty and geotropism; the
lower and older parts continually straightening themselves through
hyponasty and apogeotropism. We believe that the weight of the apex is
an unimportant element, because on horizontal or inclined shoots the
hook is often extended horizontally or even faces upwards. Moreover
shoots frequently form loops instead of hooks; and in this case the
extreme part, instead of hanging vertically down as would follow if
weight was the efficient cause, extends horizontally or even points
upwards. A shoot, which terminated in a rather open hook, was fastened
in a highly inclined downward position, so that the concave side faced
upwards, and the result was that the apex at first curved upwards. This
apparently was due to epinasty and not to apogeotropism, for the apex,
soon after passing the perpendicular, curved so rapidly downwards that
we could not doubt that the movement was at least aided by geotropism.
In the course of a few hours the hook was thus converted into a loop
with the apex of the shoot pointing straight downwards. The longer axis
of the loop was at first horizontal, but afterwards became vertical.
During this same time the basal part of the hook (and subsequently of
the loop) curved itself slowly upwards; and this must have been wholly
due to apogeotropism in opposition to hyponasty. The loop was then
fastened upside down, so that its basal half would be simultaneously
acted on by hyponasty (if present) and by apogeotropism; and now it
curved itself so greatly upwards in the course of only 4 h. that there
could hardly be a doubt that both forces were acting
together. At the same time the loop became open and was thus
reconverted into a hook, and this apparently was effected by the
geotropic movement of the apex in opposition to epinasty. In the case
of Ampelopsis hederacea, weight plays, as far as we could judge, a more
important part in the hooking of the tip.
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