climbing plants in the tendril-climber. A tendril morphologically, is
either a leaf or branch of stem, or a portion of one, specially organized
for climbing. Some tendrils simply turn away from light, as do those of
grape-vines, thus taking the direction in which some supporting object is
likely to be encountered; most are indifferent to light; and many revolve
in the manner of the summit of twining stems. As the stems which bear these
highly-endowed tendrils in many cases themselves also revolve more or less,
though they seldom twine, their reach is the more extensive; and to this
endowment of automatic movement most tendrils add the other faculty, that
of incurving and coiling upon prolonged touch, or even brief contact, in
the highest degree. Some long tendrils, when in their best condition,
revolve so rapidly that the sweeping movement may be plainly seen; indeed,
we have seen a quarter-circuit in a Passiflora sicyoides accomplished in
less than a minute, and the half-circuit in ten minutes; but the other half
(for a reason alluded to in the next paragraph) takes a much longer time.
Then, as to the coiling upon contact, in the case first noticed in this
country,[XI-3] in the year 1858, which Mr. Darwin mentions as having led him
into this investigation, the tendril of Sicyos was seen to coil within half
a minute after a stroke with the hand, and to make a full turn or more
within the next minute; furnishing ocular evidence that tendrils grasp and
coil in virtue of sensitiveness to contact, and, one would suppose,
negativing Sachs's recent hypothesis that all these movements are owing "to
rapid growth on the side opposite to that which becomes concave"--a view to
which Mr. Darwin objects, but not so strongly as he might. The tendril of
this sort, on striking some fitting object, quickly curls round and firmly
grasps it; then, after some hours, one side shortening or remaining short
in proportion to the other, it coils into a spire, dragging the stem up to
its support, and enabling the next tendril above to secure a readier hold.

In revolving tendrils perhaps the most wonderful adaptation is that by