The Power of Movement in Plants eBook

Francis Darwin
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 654 pages of information about The Power of Movement in Plants.

The Power of Movement in Plants eBook

Francis Darwin
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 654 pages of information about The Power of Movement in Plants.

(23.) Acanthus mollis (Acanthaceae, Fam. 168).—­The younger of two leaves, 2 1/4 inches in length, petiole included, produced by a seedling plant, was observed during 47 h.  Early on each of the three mornings, the apex of the leaf fell; and it continued to fall till 3 P.M., on the two afternoons when observed.  After 3 P.M. it rose considerably, and continued to rise on the second night until the early morning.  But on the first night it fell instead of rising, and we have little doubt that this was owing to the leaf being very young and becoming through epinastic growth more and more horizontal; for it may be seen in the diagram (Fig. 112), that the leaf stood on a higher level on the first than on the second day.  The leaves of an allied species (’A. spinosus’) certainly rose every night; and the rise between noon and 10.15 P.M., when measured on one occasion, was 10o.  This rise was chiefly [page 250] or exclusively due to the straightening of the blade, and not to the movement of the petiole.  We may therefore conclude that the leaves of Acanthus circumnutate periodically, falling in the morning and rising in the afternoon and night.

(24.) Cannabis sativa (Cannabineae, Fam. 195).—­We have here the rare case of leaves moving downwards in the evening, but not to a sufficient degree to be called sleep.* In the early morning, or in the latter part of the night, they move upwards.  For instance, all the young leaves near the summits of several stems stood almost horizontally at 8 A.M.  May 29th and at 10.30 P.M. were considerably declined.  On a subsequent day two leaves stood at 2 P.M. at 21o and 12o beneath the horizon, and at 10 P.M. at 38o beneath it.  Two other leaves on a younger plant were horizontal at 2 P.M., and at 10 P.M. had sunk to 36o beneath the horizon.  With respect to this downward movement of the leaves, Kraus believes that it is due to their epinastic growth.  He adds, that the leaves are relaxed during the day, and tense at night, both in sunny and rainy weather.

(25.) Pinus pinaster (Coniferae, Fam. 223).—­The leaves on the summits of the terminal shoots stand at first in a bundle almost upright, but they soon diverge and ultimately become almost horizontal.  The movements of a young leaf, nearly one inch in length, on the summit of a seedling plant only 3 inches high, were traced from the early morning of June 2nd to the evening of the 7th.  During these five days the leaf diverged, and its apex descended at first in an almost straight line; but during the two latter days it zigzagged so much that it was evidently circumnutating.  The same little plant, when grown to a height of 5 inches, was again observed during four days.  A filament was fixed transversely to the apex of a leaf, one inch in length, and which had already diverged considerably from its originally upright position.  It continued to diverge (see A, Fig. 113), and to descend from 11.45 A.M.  July 31st to 6.40 A.M.  Aug. 1st.  On August 1st it circumnutated about the same small space, and again descended at night.  Next morning the pot was moved nearly one inch to the right, and a new tracing was begun (B).  From this time, viz., 7 A.M.  August 2nd to 8.20 A.M. on the 4th,

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The Power of Movement in Plants from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.