The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin;Sir Francis Darwin
page 47 of 647 (07%)
page 47 of 647 (07%)
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vertically, so that in this case there was simply a single great daily fall
and rise. The other seedling behaved rather differently, for it fell in the morning until 11.30 A.M., and then rose, but after 12.10 P.M. again fell; and the great evening rise did not begin until 1.22 P.M. On the following morning this cotyledon had fallen greatly from its vertical position by 8.15 A.M. Two other seedlings (one seven and the other eight days old) had been previously observed under unfavourable circumstances, for they had been brought into a room and placed before a north-east window, where the temperature was between only 56o and 57o F. They had, moreover, to be protected from lateral light, and perhaps were not sufficiently illuminated. Under these circumstances the cotyledons moved simply downwards from 7 A.M. till 2 P.M., after which hour and during a large part of the night they continued to rise. Between 7 and 8 A.M. on the following morning they fell again; but on this second and likewise on the third day the movements became irregular, and between 3 and 10.30 P.M. they circumnutated to a small extent about the same spot; but they did not rise at night. Nevertheless, on the following night they rose as usual. Cytisus fragrans (Leguminosae).--Only a few observations were made on this plant. The hypocotyl circumnutated to a considerable extent, but in a simple manner--namely, for two hours in one direction, and then much more slowly back again in a zigzag course, almost parallel to the first line, and beyond the starting-point. It moved in the same direction all night, but next morning began to return. The cotyledons continually [page 38] move both up and down and laterally; but they do not rise up at night in a conspicuous manner. Lupinus luteus (Leguminosae).--Seedlings of this plant were observed because the cotyledons are so thick (about .08 of an inch) that it seemed |
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