The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin (best fiction books to read TXT) 📕

sleep like the full-sized leaflets. There is, however, this remarkable difference in the two cases; in Desmodium the pulvinus of the rudimentary leaflets has not been reduced in length, in correspondence with the reduction of the blade, to the same extent as has occurred in the Mimosa; and it is on the length and degree of curvature of the pulvinus that the amount of movement of the blade depends. Thus the average length of the pulvinus in the large terminal leaflets of Desmodium is 3 mm., whilst that of the rudimentary leaflets is 2.86 mm.; so that they differ only a little in length. But in diameter they differ much, that of the pulvinus of the little leaflets being only 0.3 mm. to 0.4 mm.; whilst that of the terminal leaflets is 1.33

mm. If we now turn to the Mimosa, we find that the average length of the pulvinus of the almost rudimentary leaflets is only 0.466 mm., or rather more than a quarter of the length of the pulvinus of the full-sized leaflets, namely, 1.66 mm. In this small reduction in length of the pulvinus of the rudimentary leaflets of Desmodium, we apparently have the proximate cause of their great and rapid circumnutating movement, in contrast with that of the almost rudimentary leaflets of the Mimosa. The small size and weight of the blade, and the little resistance opposed by the air to its movement, no doubt also come into play; for we have seen that these leaflets if immersed in water, when the resistance would be much greater, were prevented from jerking forwards. Why, during the reduction of the lateral leaflets of Desmodium, or during their reappearance—if they owe their origin to reversion—the pulvinus should have been so much less affected than the blade, whilst with the * Desmodium vespertilionis is closely allied to D. gyrans, and it seems only occasionally to bear rudimentary lateral leaflets. Duchartre, ‘El�ments de Botanique,’ 1867, p. 353.

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Mimosa the pulvinus has been greatly reduced, we do not know. Nevertheless, it deserves notice that the reduction of the leaflets in these two genera has apparently been effected by a different process and for a different end; for with the Mimosa the reduction of the inner and basal leaflets was necessary from the want of space; but no such necessity exists with Desmodium, and the reduction of its lateral leaflets seems to have been due to the principle of compensation, in consequence of the great size of the terminal leaflet.

Uraria (Tribe 6) and Centrosema (Tribe 8).—The leaflets of Uraria lagopus and the leaves of a Centrosema from Brazil both sink vertically down at night. In the latter plant the petiole at the same time rose 16 1/2o.

 

Amphicarpoea monoica (Tribe 8).—The leaflets sink down vertically at night, and the petioles likewise fall considerably.

 

Fig. 151. Amphicarpoea monoica: circumnutation and nyctitropic movement of leaf during 48 h.; its apex 9 inches from the vertical glass. Figure reduced to one-third of original scale. Plant illuminated from above; temp 17 1/2o - 18 1/2o C.

 

A petiole, which was carefully observed, stood during the day 25o above the horizon and at night 32o below it; it therefore fell 57o. A filament was fixed transversely across the terminal leaflet of a fine young leaf (2 1/4

inches in length including the

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petiole), and the movement of the whole leaf was traced on a vertical glass. This was a bad plan in some respects, because the rotation of the leaflet, independently of its rising or falling, raised and depressed the filament; but it was the best plan for our special purpose of observing whether the leaf moved much after it had gone to sleep. The plant had twined closely round a thin stick, so that the circumnutation of the stem was prevented. The movement of the leaf was traced during 48 h., from 9

A.M. July 10th to 9 A.M. July 12th. In the figure given (Fig. 151) we see how complicated its course was on both days: during the second day it changed its course greatly 13 times. The leaflets began to go to sleep a little after 6 P.M., and by 7.15 P.M. hung vertically down and were completely asleep; but on both nights they continued to move from 7.15 P.M.

to 10.40 and 10.50 P.M., quite as much as during the day; and this was the point which we wished to ascertain. We see in the figure that the great sinking movement late in the evening does not differ essentially from the circumnutation during the day.

 

Glycine hispida (Tribe 8).—The three leaflets sink vertically down at night.

 

Erythrina (Tribe 8).—Five species were observed, and the leaflets of all sank vertically down at night; with E. caffra and with a second unnamed species, the petioles at the same time rose slightly. The movements of the terminal leaflet of E. crista-galli (with the main petiole secured to a stick) were traced from 6.40 A.M. June 8th, to 8 A.M. on the 10th. In order to observe the nyctitropic movements of this plant, it is necessary that it should have grown in a warm greenhouse, for out of doors in our climate it does not sleep. We see in the tracing (Fig. 152) that the leaflet oscillated twice up and down between early morning and noon; it then fell greatly, afterwards rising till 3 P.M. At this latter hour the great nocturnal fall commenced. On the second day (of which the tracing is not given) there was exactly the same double oscillation before noon, but only a very small one in the afternoon. On the third morning the leaflet moved laterally, which was due to its beginning to assume an oblique position, as seems invariably to occur with the leaflets of this species as they grow old. On both nights after the leaflets were asleep and hung vertically down, they continued to move a little both up and down, and from side to side.

 

Erythrina caffra.—A filament was fixed transversely across [page 367]

 

a terminal leaflet, as we wished to observe its movements when asleep. The plant was placed in the morning of June 10th under a skylight, where the light was not bright; and we do not know whether it was owing to this cause or to the plant having been disturbed, but the leaflet hung vertically down all day; nevertheless it circumnutated in this position, describing a figure which represented two irregular ellipses. On the next day it circumnutated in a greater degree, describing four irregular ellipses, and by 3 P.M. had risen into a horizontal position. By 7.15 P.M. it was asleep and vertically dependent, but continued to circumnutate as long as observed, until 11 P.M.

 

Fig. 152. Erythrina crista-galli: circumnutation and nyctitropic movement of terminal leaflet, 3 3/4 inches in length, traced during 25 h.; apex of leaf 3 � inches from the vertical glass. Figure reduced to one-half of original scale. Plant illuminated from above; temp. 17 1/2o - 18 1/2o C.

 

Erythrina corallodendron.—The movements of a terminal leaflet were traced.

During the second day it oscillated four times up and four times down between 8 A.M. and 4 P.M., after which hour the great nocturnal fall commenced. On the third day the movement was equally great in amplitude, but was remarkably simple, for the leaflet rose in an almost perfectly straight line from 6.50 A.M. to 3 P.M., and then sank down in an equally straight line until vertically dependent and asleep.

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Apios tuberosa (Tribe 8).—The leaflets sink vertically down at night.

 

Phaseolus vulgaris (Tribe 8).—The leaflets likewise sink vertically down at night. In the greenhouse the petiole of a young leaf rose 16o, and that of an older leaf 10o at night. With plants growing out of doors the leaflets apparently do not sleep until somewhat late in the season, for on the nights of July 11th and 12th none of them were asleep; whereas on the night of August 15th the same plants had most of their leaflets vertically dependent and asleep. With Ph. caracalla and Hernandesii, the primary unifoliate leaves and the leaflets of the secondary trifoliate leaves sink vertically down at night. This holds good with the secondary trifoliate leaves of Ph. Roxburghii, but it is remarkable that the primary unifoliate leaves which are much elongated, rise at night from about 20o to about 60o above the horizon. With older seedlings, however, having the secondary leaves just developed, the primary leaves stand in the middle of the day horizontally, or are deflected a little beneath the horizon. In one such case the primary leaves rose from 26o beneath the horizon at noon, to 20o above it at 10 P.M.; whilst at this same hour the leaflets of the secondary leaves were vertically dependent. Here, then, we have the extraordinary case of the primary and secondary leaves on the same plant moving at the same time in opposite directions.

 

We have now seen that the leaflets in the six genera of Phaseoleae observed by us (with the exception of the primary leaves of Phaseolus Roxburghii) all sleep in the same manner, namely, by sinking vertically down. The movements of the petioles were observed in only three of these genera. They rose in Centrosema and Phaseolus, and sunk in Amphicarpaea.

 

Sophora chrysophylla (Tribe 10).—The leaflets rise at night, and are at the same time directed towards the apex of the leaf, as in Mimosa pudica.

 

Caesalpinia, Hoematoxylon, Gleditschia, Poinciana.—The leaflets of two species of Caesalpinia (Tribe 13) rose at night. With Haematoxylon Campechianum (Tribe 13) the leaflets move forwards at night, so that their midribs stand parallel to the petiole, and their now vertical lower surfaces are turned outwards (Fig. 153). The petiole sinks a little. In Gleditschia, if we understand correctly Duchartre’s description, and in Poin-

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ciana Gilliesii (both belonging to Tribe 13), the leaves behave in the same manner.

 

Fig. 153. Haematoxylon Campechianum: A, branch during daytime; B, branch with leaves asleep, reduced to two-thirds of natural scale.

 

Cassia (Tribe 14).—The nyctitropic movements of the leaves in many species in this genus are closely alike, and are highly complex. They were first briefly described by Linnaeus, and since by Duchartre. Our observations were made chiefly on C. floribunda* and corymbosa, but several other species were casually observed. The horizontally extended leaflets sink down vertically at night; but not simply, as in so many other genera, for each leaflet rotates on its own axis, so that its lower surface faces outwards. The upper surfaces of the opposite leaflets are thus brought into contact with one another beneath the petiole, and are well protected (Fig.

154). The rotation and other movements are effected by means of a well-developed pulvinus at the base of each leaflet, as could be plainly seen when a straight narrow black line had been painted along it during the day. The two terminal leaflets in the daytime include rather less than a right angle; but their divergence increases greatly whilst they * I am informed by Mr. Dyer that Mr. Bentham believes that C. floribunda (a common greenhouse bush) is a hybrid raised in France, and that it comes very near to C. laevigata. It is no doubt the same as the form described by Lindley (‘Bot. Reg.,’ Tab. 1422) as C. Herbertiana.

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sink downwards and rotate, so that they stand laterally at night, as may be seen in the figure. Moreover, they move somewhat backwards, so as to point towards the base of the petiole.

 

Fig. 154. Cassia corymbosa: A, plant during day; B, same plant at night.

Both figures copied from photographs.

 

In one instance we found that the midrib of a terminal leaflet formed at night an angle of 36o, with a line dropped [page 371]

perpendicularly from the end of