Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
Gossypium herbaceum.—It is remarkable that the cotyledons of this
species behave differently from those of the last. They were observed
during 6 weeks from their first development until they had grown to a
very large size (still appearing fresh and green), viz. 2½ inches in
breadth. At this age a true leaf had been formed, which with its
petiole was 2 inches long. During the whole of these 6 weeks the
cotyledons did not sink at night; yet when old their weight was
considerable and they were borne by much elongated petioles. Seedlings
raised from some seed sent us from Naples, behaved in the same manner;
as did those of a kind cultivated in Alabama and of the Sea-island
cotton. To what species these three latter forms belong we do not know.
We could not make out in the case of the Naples cotton, that the
position of the cotyledons at night was influenced by the soil being
more or less dry; care being taken that they were not rendered flaccid
by being too dry. The weight of the large cotyledons of the Alabama and
Sea-island kinds caused them to hang somewhat downwards, when the pots
in which they grew were left for a time upside down. It should,
however, be observed that these three kinds were raised in the middle
of the winter, which sometimes greatly interferes with the proper
nyctitropic movements of leaves and cotyledons.
Cucurbitaceæ.—The cotyledons of Cucurbita aurantia and ovifera, and of
Lagenaria vulgaris, stand from the 1st to the 3rd day of their life at
about 60° above the horizon, and at night rise up so as to become
vertical and in close contact with one another. With Cucumis dudaim
they stood at noon at 45° above the horizon, and closed at night. The
tips of the cotyledons of all these species are, however, reflexed, so
that this part is fully exposed to the zenith at night; and this fact
is opposed to the belief that the movement is of the same nature as
that of sleeping plants. After the first two or three days the
cotyledons diverge more during the day and cease to close at night.
Those of Trichosanthes anguina are somewhat thick and fleshy, and did
not rise at night; and they could perhaps hardly be expected to do so.
On the other hand, those of _Acanthosicyos horrida_[15] present nothing
in their appearance opposed to their moving at night in the same manner
as the preceding species; yet they did not rise up in any plain manner.
This fact leads to the belief that the nocturnal movements of the
above-named species has been acquired for some special purpose, which
may be to protect the young plumule from radiation, by the close
contact of the whole basal portion of the two cotyledons.
[15] This plant, from Dammara Land in S. Africa, is remarkable from
being the one known member of the Family which is not a climber; it
has been described in ‘Transact. Linn. Soc.,’ xxvii. p. 30.
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