Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
The cotyledons of this seedling sank downwards during both evenings and
the early part of the night, but rose during the latter part. As this
is an unusual movement, the cotyledons of twelve other seedlings were
observed; they stood almost or quite horizontally at mid-day, and at 10
P.M. were all declined at various angles. The most usual angle was
between 30° and 35°; but three stood at about 50° and one at even 70°
beneath the horizon. The blades of all these cotyledons had attained
almost their full size, viz. from 1 to 1½ inches in length, measured
along their midribs. It is a remarkable fact that whilst young—that is,
when less than half an inch in length, measured in the same manner—they
do not sink
downwards in the evening. Therefore their weight, which is considerable
when almost fully developed, probably came into play in originally
determining the downward movement. The periodicity of this movement is
much influenced by the degree of light to which the seedlings have been
exposed during the day; for three kept in an obscure place began to
sink about noon, instead of late in the evening; and those of another
seedling were almost paralysed by having been similarly kept during two
whole days. The cotyledons of several other species of Ipomœa likewise
sink downwards late in the evening.
Cerinthe major (Boragineae).—The circumnutation of the hypocotyl of a
young seedling with the cotyledons hardly expanded, is shown in the
annexed figure (Fig. 36), which apparently represents four or five
irregular ellipses, described in the course of a little over 12 hours.
Two older seedlings were similarly observed, excepting that one of them
was kept in the dark; their hypocotyls also circumnutated, but in a
more simple manner. The cotyledons on a seedling exposed to the light
fell from the early morning until a little after noon, and then
continued to rise until 10.30 P.M. or later. The cotyledons of this
same seedling acted in the same general manner during the two following
days. It had previously been tried in the dark, and after being thus
kept for only 1 h. 40 m. the cotyledons began at 4.30 P.M. to sink,
instead of continuing to rise till late at night.
Fig. 36. Cerinthe major: circumnutation of hypocotyl, with filament
fixed across its summit, illuminated from above, traced on horizontal
glass, from 9.26 A.M. to 9.53 P.M. on Oct. 25th. Movement of the bead
magnified 30 times, here reduced to one-third of original scale.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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