Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
Lupinus luteus (Leguminosae).—Seedlings of this plant were observed
because the cotyledons are so thick (about .08 of an inch) that it
seemed unlikely that they would move. Our observations were not very
successful, as the seedlings are strongly heliotropic, and their
circumnutation could not be accurately observed near a north-east
window, although they had been kept during the previous day in the same
position. A seedling was then placed in darkness with the hypocotyl
secured to a stick; both cotyledons rose a little at first, and then
fell during the rest of the day; in the evening between 5 and 6 P.M.
they moved very slowly; during the night one continued to fall and the
other rose, though only a little. The tracing was not much magnified,
and as the lines were plainly zigzag, the cotyledons must have moved a
little laterally, that is, they must have circumnutated.
The hypocotyl is rather thick, about .12 of inch; nevertheless it
circumnutated in a complex course, though to a small extent. The
movement of an old seedling with two true leaves partially developed,
was observed in the dark. As the movement was magnified about 100 times
it is not trustworthy and is not given; but there could be no doubt
that the hypocotyl moved in all directions during the day, changing its
course 19 times. The extreme actual distance from side to side through
which the upper part of the hypocotyl passed in the course of 14½ hours
was only 1/60 of an inch; it sometimes travelled at the rate of 1/50 of
an inch in an hour.
Cucurbita ovifera (Cucurbitaceæ).—Radicle: a seed which had germinated
on damp sand was fixed so that the slightly curved radicle, which was
only .07 inch in length, stood almost vertically
upwards, in which position geotropism would act at first with little
power. A filament was attached near to its base, and projected at about
an angle of 45° above the horizon. The general course followed during
the 11 hours of observation and during the following night is shown in
the accompanying diagram (Fig. 26), and was plainly due to geotropism;
but it was also clear that the radicle circumnutated. By the next
morning the tip had curved so much downwards that the filament, instead
of projecting at 45° above the horizon, was nearly horizontal. Another
germinating seed was turned upside down and covered with damp sand; and
a filament was fastened to the radicle so as to project at an angle of
about 50° above the horizon; this radicle was .35 of an inch in length
and a little curved. The course pursued was mainly governed, as in the
last case, by geotropism, but the line traced during 12 hours and
magnified as before was more strongly zigzag, again showing
circumnutation.
Fig. 26. Cucurbita ovifera: course followed by a radicle in bending
geotropically downwards, traced on a horizontal glass, between 11.25
A.M. and 10.25 P.M.; the direction during the night is indicated by the
broken line. Movement of bead magnified 14 times.
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