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

the 29th a nearly perfect ellipse was completed. On the 30th the hypocotyl moved, from some unknown cause, in the same general direction in a zigzag line; but between 4.30 and 10 P.M. almost completed a second small ellipse. The cotyledons move only a little up and down: thus at 10.15 P.M. they stood only 10o higher than at noon. The chief seat of movement therefore, at least when the cotyledons are rather old as in the present case, lies in the hypocotyl. The ellipse described on the 29th had its longer axis directed at nearly right angles to a line joining the two cotyledons. The actual amount of movement of the bead at the end of the [page 45]

filament was, as far as could be ascertained, about .14 of an inch.

 

Fig. 32. Helianthus annuus: circumnutation of hypocotyl, with filament fixed across its summit, traced on a horizontal glass in darkness, from 8.45 A.M. to 10.45 P.M., and for an hour on following morning. Movement of bead magnified 21 times, here reduced to one-half of original scale.

 

Helianthus annuus (Compositae).—The upper part of the hypocotyl moved during the daytime in the course shown in the annexed figure (Fig. 32). As the line runs in various directions, crossing itself several times, the movement may be considered as one of circumnutation. The extreme actual distance travelled was at least .1 of an inch. The movements of the cotyledons of two seedlings were observed; one facing a north-east window, and the other so feebly illuminated from above us as to be almost in darkness. They continued to sink till about noon, when they began to rise; but between 5 and 7 or 8 P.M. they either sank a little, or moved laterally, and then again began to rise. At 7 A.M. on the following morning those on the plant before the north-east window had opened so little that they stood at an angle of 73o above the horizon, and were not observed any longer. Those on the seedling which had been kept in almost complete darkness, sank during the whole day, without rising about mid-day, but rose during the night. On the third and fourth days they continued sinking without any alternate ascending movement; and this, no doubt, was due to the absence of light.

 

Primula Sinensis (Primulaceae).—A seedling was placed with the two cotyledons parallel to a north-east window on a day when the light was nearly uniform, and a filament was affixed to one of them. From observations subsequently made on another seedling with the stem secured to a stick, the greater part of the movement shown in the annexed figure (Fig.

33), must have been that of the hypocotyl, though the cotyledons certainly move up and down to a certain extent both during the day and night. The movements of the same seedling were traced [page 46]

on the following day with nearly the same result; and there can be no doubt about the circumnutation of the hypocotyl.

 

Fig. 33. Primula Sinensis: conjoint circumnutation of hypocotyl and cotyledon, traced on vertical glass, from 8.40 A.M. to 10.45 P.M. Movements of bead magnified about 26 times.

 

Cyclamen Persicum (Primulaceae).—This plant is generally supposed to produce only a single cotyledon, but Dr. H. Gressner* has shown that a second one is developed after a long interval of time. The hypocotyl is converted into a globular corm, even before the first cotyledon has broken through the ground with its blade closely enfolded and with its petiole in the form of an arch, like the arched hypocotyl or epicotyl of any ordinary dicotyledonous plant. A glass filament was affixed to a cotyledon, .55 of an inch in height, the petiole of which had straightened itself and stood nearly vertical, but with the blade not as yet fully expanded. Its movements were traced during 24 � h. on a horizontal glass, magnified 50

times; and in this interval it described two irregular small circles; it therefore circumnutates, though on an extremely small scale.

 

Fig. 34. Stapelia sarpedon: circumnutation of hypocotyl, illuminated from above, traced on horizontal glass, from 6.45 A.M. June 26th to 8.45 A.M.

28th. Temp. 23-24o C. Movement of bead magnified 21 times.

 

Stapelia sarpedon (Asclepiadeae).—This plant, when mature, resembles a cactus. The flattened hypocotyl is fleshy, enlarged in the upper part, and bears two rudimentary cotyledons. It breaks through the ground in an arched form, with the rudimentary cotyledons closed or in contact. A filament was affixed almost

 

* ‘Bot. Zeitung,’ 1874, p. 837.

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vertically to the hypocotyl of a seedling half an inch high; and its movements were traced during 50 h. on a horizontal glass (Fig. 34). From some unknown cause it bowed itself to one side, and as this was effected by a zigzag course, it probably circumnutated; but with hardly any other seedling observed by us was this movement so obscurely shown.

 

Ipomoea caerulea vel Pharbitis nil (Convolvulaceae).—Seedlings of this plant were observed because it is a twiner, the upper internodes of which circumnutate conspicuously; but like other twining plants, the first few internodes which rise above the ground are stiff enough to support themselves, and therefore do not circumnutate in any plainly recognisable manner.* In this particular instance the fifth internode (including the hypocotyl) was the first which plainly circumnutated and twined round a stick. We therefore wished to learn whether circumnutation could be observed in the hypocotyl if carefully observed in our usual manner. Two seedlings were kept in the dark with filaments fixed to the upper part of their hypocotyls; but from circumstances not worth explaining their movements were traced for only a short time. One moved thrice forwards and twice backwards in nearly opposite directions, in the course of 3 h. 15 m.; and the other twice forwards and twice backwards in 2 h. 22 m. The hypocotyl therefore circumnutated at a remarkably rapid rate. It may here be added that a filament was affixed transversely to the summit of the second internode above the cotyledons of a little plant 3 � inches in height; and its movements were traced on a horizontal glass. It circumnutated, and the actual distance travelled from side to side was a quarter of an inch, which was too small an amount to be perceived without the aid of marks.

 

The movements of the cotyledons are interesting from their complexity and rapidity, and in some other respects. The hypocotyl (2 inches high) of a vigorous seedling was secured to a stick, and a filament with triangles of paper was affixed to one of the cotyledons. The plant was kept all day in the hot-house, and at 4.20 P.M. (June 20th) was placed under a skylight in the house, and observed occasionally during the evening and night. It fell in a slightly zigzag line to a moderate extent from 4.20 P.M. till 10.15

P.M. When looked at shortly after midnight (12.30 P.M.) it had risen a very little, and considerably by

 

* ‘Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants,’ p. 33, 1875.

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3.45 A.M. When again looked at, at 6.10 A.M. (21st), it had fallen largely.

A new tracing was now begun (see Fig. 35), and soon afterwards, at 6.42

A.M., the cotyledon had risen a little. During the forenoon it was observed about every hour; but between 12.30 and 6 P.M. every half-hour. If the observations had been made at these short intervals during the whole day, the figure would have been too intricate to have been copied. As it was, the cotyledon moved up and down in the course of 16 h. 20 m. (i.e. between 6.10 A.M. and 10.30 P.M.) thirteen times.

 

Fig 35. Ipomoea caerulea: circumnutation of cotyledon, traced on vertical glass, from 6.10 A.M. June 21st to 6.45 A.M. 22nd. Cotyledon with petiole 1.6 inch in length, apex of blade 4.1 inch from the vertical glass; so movement not greatly magnified; temp. 20o C.

 

The cotyledons of this seedling sank downwards during both evenings and the early part of the night, but rose during the latter part. As this is an unusual movement, the cotyledons of twelve other seedlings were observed; they stood almost or quite horizontally at mid-day, and at 10 P.M. were all declined at various angles. The most usual angle was between 30o and 35o; but three stood at about 50o and one at even 70o beneath the horizon. The blades of all these cotyledons had attained almost their full size, viz.

from 1 to 1 � inches in length, measured along their midribs. It is a remarkable fact that whilst young—that is, when less than half an inch in length, measured in the same manner—they do not sink [page 49]

downwards in the evening. Therefore their weight, which is considerable when almost fully developed, probably came into play in originally determining the downward movement. The periodicity of this movement is much influenced by the degree of light to which the seedlings have been exposed during the day; for three kept in an obscure place began to sink about noon, instead of late in the evening; and those of another seedling were almost paralysed by having been similarly kept during two whole days. The cotyledons of several other species of Ipomoea likewise sink downwards late in the evening.

 

Cerinthe major (Boragineae).—The circumnutation of the hypocotyl of a young seedling with the cotyledons hardly Fig. 36. Cerinthe major: circumnutation of hypocotyl, with filament fixed across its summit, illuminated from above, traced on horizontal glass, from 9.26 A.M. to 9.53 P.M. on Oct. 25th. Movement of the bead magnified 30

times, here reduced to one-third of original scale.

 

expanded, is shown in the annexed figure (Fig. 36), which apparently represents four or five irregular ellipses, described in the course of a little over 12 hours. Two older seedlings were similarly observed, excepting that one of them was kept in the dark; their hypocotyls also circumnutated, but in a more simple manner. The cotyledons on a seedling exposed to the light fell from the early morning until a little after noon, and then continued to rise until 10.30 P.M. or later. The cotyledons of this same seedling acted in the same general manner during the two following days. It had previously been tried in the dark, and after being thus kept for only 1 h. 40 m. the cotyledons began at 4.30 P.M. to sink, instead of continuing to rise till late at night.

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Nolana prostrata (Nolaneae).—The movements were not traced, but a pot with seedlings, which had been kept in the dark for an hour, was placed under the microscope, with the micrometer eye-piece so adjusted that each division equalled 1/500th of an inch. The apex of one of the cotyledons crossed rather obliquely four divisions in 13 minutes; it was also sinking, as shown by getting out of focus. The seedlings were again placed in darkness for another hour, and the apex now crossed two divisions in 6 m.

18 s.; that is, at very nearly the same rate as before. After another interval of an hour in darkness, it crossed two divisions in 4 m. 15 s., therefore at a quicker rate. In the afternoon, after a longer interval in the dark, the apex was motionless, but after a time it recommenced moving, though slowly; perhaps the room was too cold. Judging from previous cases, there can hardly be a doubt that this seedling was circumnutating.

 

Fig. 37. Solanum lycopersicum: circumnutation of hypocotyl, with filament fixed across its summit, traced on horizontal glass, from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.

Oct. 24th. Illuminated obliquely from above. Movement of bead magnified about 35 times, here reduced to one-third of original scale.

 

Solanum lycopersicum (Solaneae).—The movements of the hypocotyls of two seedling tomatoes were observed during seven hours, and there could be no doubt that both circumnutated.