Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
Melilotus Taurica.—Several plants were exposed for 5 h. during two
nights to a clear sky and slight frost, accompanied by some wind; and 5
leaves which had been pinned out suffered more than those both above
and below on the same branches which had gone to sleep. Another pot,
which had likewise been kept in the greenhouse, was exposed for 35–40
m. to a clear sky, the temperature of the surrounding grass being
between –3° and –4° C. Nine leaves had been pinned out, and all of
these were killed. On the same plants there were 210 free leaves, which
had been allowed to go to sleep, and of these about 80 were killed,
i.e. only 38 per cent.
Melilotus Petitpierreana.—The plants were exposed to a clear sky for
35–40 m.: temperature on surrounding grass –3° to –4° C. Six leaves had
been pinned out so as to stand about ½ inch above the cork, and four
had been pinned close to it. These 10 leaves were all killed, but the
closely pinned ones suffered most, as 4 of the 6 which stood above the
cork still retained small patches of a green colour. A considerable
number, but not nearly all, of the free leaves, were killed or much
injured, whereas all the pinned out ones were killed.
Melilotus macrorrhiza.—The plants were exposed in the same manner as in
the last case. Six leaves had been pinned out horizontally, and five of
them were killed, that is, 83 percent. We estimated that there were 200
free leaves on the plants, and of these about 50 were killed and 20
badly injured, so that about 35 per cent of the free leaves were killed
or injured.
Lotus aristata.—Six plants were exposed for nearly 5 h. to a clear sky;
temperature on surrounding grass –1.5° C. Four leaves had been pinned
out horizontally, and 2 of these suffered more than those above or
below on the same branches, which had been allowed to go to sleep. It
is rather a remarkable fact that some plants of Lotus Jacoboeus, an
inhabitant of so hot a country as the Cape Verde Islands, were exposed
one night to a clear sky, with the temperature of the surrounding grass
–2° C., and on a second night for 30 m. with the temperature of the
grass between –3° and –4° C., and not a single leaf, either the
pinned-out or free ones, was in the least injured.
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