Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
Pinus pinaster (Coniferæ).—A young hypocotyl, with the tips of the
cotyledons still enclosed within the seed-coats, was at first only .35
of an inch in height; but the upper part grew so rapidly that at the
end of our observations it was .6 in height,
and by this time the filament was attached some way down the little
stem. From some unknown cause, the hypocotyl moved far towards the
left, but there could be no doubt (Fig. 43) that it circumnutated.
Another hypocotyl was similarly observed, and it likewise moved in a
strongly zigzag line to the same side. This lateral movement was not
caused by the attachment of the glass filaments, nor by the action of
light; for no light was allowed to enter when each observation was
made, except from vertically above.
Fig. 43. Pinus pinaster: circumnutation of hypocotyl, with filament
fixed across its summit, traced on horizontal glass, from 10 A.M. March
21st to 9 A.M. 23rd. Seedling kept in darkness. Movement of bead
magnified about 35 times.
The hypocotyl of a seedling was secured to a little stick; it bore nine
in appearance distinct cotyledons, arranged in a circle. The movements
of two nearly opposite ones were observed. The tip of one was painted
white, with a mark placed below, and the figure described (Fig. 44, A)
shows that it made an irregular circle in the course of about 8 h.
during the night it travelled to a considerable distance in the
direction indicated by the broken line. A glass filament was attached
longitudinally to the other cotyledon, and this nearly completed (Fig,
44, B) an irregular circular figure in about 12 hours. During the night
it also moved to a considerable distance, in the direction indicated by
the broken line. The cotyledons therefore circumnutate independently of
the movement of the hypocotyl. Although they moved much during the
night, they did not approach each other so as to stand more vertically
than during the day.
Fig. 44. Pinus pinaster: circumnutation of two opposite cotyledons,
traced on horizontal glass in darkness, from 8.45 A.M. to 8.35 P.M.
Nov. 25th. Movement of tip in A magnified about 22 times, here reduced
to one-half of original scale.
Cycas pectinata (Cycadeæ).—The large seeds of this plant in germinating
first protrude a single leaf, which breaks through the ground with the
petiole bowed into an arch and with the leaflets involuted. A leaf in
this condition, which at the close of our observations was 2½ inches in
height, had its movements traced in a warm greenhouse by means of a
glass filament bearing paper triangles attached across its tip. The
tracing (Fig. 45) shows how large, complex, and rapid were the
circumnutating movements. The extreme distance from side to side which
it passed over amounted to between .6 and .7 of an inch.
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