Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
Citrus aurantium (Orange) (Aurantiaceae).—The cotyledons are hypogean.
The circumnutation of an epicotyl, which at the close of our
observations was .59 of an inch (15 mm.) in height above the ground, is
shown in the annexed figure (Fig. 17), as observed during a period of
44 h. 40 m.
Fig. 17. Citrus aurantium: circumnutation of epicotyl with a filament
fixed transversely near its apex, traced on a horizontal glass, from
12.13 P.M. on Feb. 20th to 8.55 A.M. on 22nd. The movement of the bead
of the filament was at first magnified 21 times, or 10½, in figure here
given, and afterwards 36 times, or 18 as here given; seedling
illuminated from above.
Æsculus hippocastanum (Hippocastaneae).—Germinating seeds were placed
in a tin box, kept moist internally, with a sloping bank of damp
argillaceous sand, on which four smoked glass-plates rested, inclined
at angles of 70° and 65° with the horizon. The tips of the radicles
were placed so as just to touch the upper end of the glass-plates, and,
as they grew downwards they pressed lightly, owing to geotropism, on
the smoked surfaces, and left tracks of their course. In the middle
part of each track the glass was swept clean, but the margins were much
blurred and irregular. Copies of two of these tracks (all four being
nearly alike) were made on tracing paper placed over the glass-plates
after they had been varnished; and they are as exact as possible
considering the nature of the margins (Fig. 18). They suffice to show
that there was some lateral, almost serpentine movement, and that the
tips in their downward course pressed with unequal force on the plates,
as
the tracks varied in breadth. The more perfectly serpentine tracks made
by the radicles of Phaseolus multiflorus and Vicia faba (presently to
be described), render it almost certain that the radicles of the
present plant circumnutated.
Fig. 18. Æsculus hippocastanum: outlines of tracks left on inclined
glass-plates by tips of radicles. In A the plate was inclined at 70°
with the horizon, and the radicle was 1.9 inch in length, and .23 inch
in diameter at base. In B the plate was inclined 65° with the horizon,
and the radicle was a trifle larger.
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