Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
As M. messanensis sleeps in an anomalous manner, unlike that of any
other species in the genus, the circumnutation of a terminal leaflet,
with the stem secured, was traced during two days. On each morning the
leaflet fell, until about noon, and then began to rise very slowly; but
on the first day the rising movement was interrupted between 1 and 3
P.M. by the formation of a laterally extended ellipse, and on the
second day, at the same time, by two smaller ellipses. The rising
movement then
recommenced, and became rapid late in the evening, when the leaflet was
beginning to go to sleep. The awaking or sinking movement had already
commenced by 6.45 A.M. on both mornings.
Trifolium (Tribe 3).—The nyctitropic movements of 11 species were
observed, and were found to be closely similar. If we select a leaf of
T. repens having an upright petiole, and with the three leaflets
expanded horizontally, the two lateral leaflets will be seen in the
evening to twist and approach each other, until their upper surfaces
come into contact. At the same time they bend downwards in a plane at
right angles to that of their former position, until their midribs form
an angle of about 45° with the upper part of the petiole. This peculiar
change of position requires a considerable amount of torsion in the
pulvinus. The terminal leaflet merely rises up without any twisting and
bends over until it rests on and forms a roof over the edges of the now
vertical and united lateral leaflets. Thus the terminal leaflet always
passes through an angle of at least 90°, generally of 130° or 140°, and
not rarely—as was often observed with T. subterraneum—of 180°. In this
latter case the terminal leaflet stands at night horizontally (as in
Fig. 141), with its lower surface fully exposed to the zenith. Besides
the difference in the angles, at which the terminal leaflets stand at
night in the individuals of the same species, the degree to which the
lateral leaflets approach each other often likewise differs.
Fig. 141. Trifolium repens: A, leaf during the day; B, leaf asleep at
night.
We have seen that the cotyledons of some species and not of others rise
up vertically at night. The first true leaf is generally unifoliate and
orbicular; it always rises, and either stands vertically at night or
more commonly bends a little over so as to expose the lower surface
obliquely to the zenith, in the same manner as does the terminal
leaflet of the mature leaf. But it does not twist itself like the
corresponding first simple leaf of Melilotus.
With T. Pannonicum the first true leaf was generally unifoliate, but
sometimes trifoliate, or again partially lobed and in an intermediate
condition.
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