DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS.
DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.—THE CIRCUMNUTATING MOVEMENTS OF SEEDLING PLANTS.
Brassica oleracea, circumnutation of the radicle, of the arched hypocotyl
whilst still buried beneath the ground, whilst rising above the ground and
straightening itself, and when erect—Circumnutation of the
cotyledons—Rate of movement—Analogous observations on various
organs in species of Githago, Gossypium, Oxalis, Tropaeolum, Citrus, Æsculus,
of several Leguminous and Cucurbitaceous genera, Opuntia, Helianthus, Primula,
Cyclamen, Stapelia, Cerinthe, Nolana, Solanum, Beta, Ricinus, Quercus, Corylus,
Pinus, Cycas, Canna, Allium, Asparagus, Phalaris, Zea, Avena, Nephrodium, and
Selaginella.
CHAPTER II.—GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE MOVEMENTS AND GROWTH OF SEEDLING PLANTS.
Generality of the circumnutating movement—Radicles, their circumnutation
of service—Manner in which they penetrate the ground—Manner in
which hypocotyls and other organs break through the ground by being
arched—Singular manner of germination in Megarrhiza, etc.—Abortion
of cotyledons—Circumnutation of hypocotyls and epicotyls whilst still
buried and arched—Their power of straightening themselves—Bursting
of the seed-coats—Inherited effect of the arching process in hypogean
hypocotyls—Circumnutation of hypocotyls and epicotyls when
erect—Circumnutation of cotyledons—Pulvini or joints of cotyledons,
duration of their activity, rudimentary in Oxalis corniculata, their
development—Sensitiveness of cotyledons to light and consequent
disturbance of their periodic movements—Sensitiveness of cotyledons to
contact.
CHAPTER III.—SENSITIVENESS OF THE APEX OF THE RADICLE TO CONTACT AND TO OTHER IRRITANTS.
Manner in which radicles bend when they encounter an obstacle in the
soil—Vicia faba, tips of radicles highly sensitive to contact and other
irritants—Effects of too high a temperature—Power of discriminating
between objects attached on opposite sides—Tips of secondary radicles
sensitive—Pisum, tips of radicles sensitive—Effects of such
sensitiveness in overcoming geotropism—Secondary
radicles—Phaseolus, tips of radicles hardly sensitive to contact, but
highly sensitive to caustic and to the removal of a
slice—Tropaeolum—Gossypium—Cucurbita—Raphanus—Æsculus,
tip not sensitive to slight contact, highly sensitive to caustic—Quercus,
tip highly sensitive to contact—Power of discrimination—Zea, tip
highly sensitive, secondary radicles—Sensitiveness of radicles to moist
air—Summary of chapter.
CHAPTER IV.—THE CIRCUMNUTATING MOVEMENTS OF THE SEVERAL PARTS OF MATURE PLANTS.
Circumnutation of stems: concluding remarks on—Circumnutation of stolons:
aid thus afforded in winding amongst the stems of surrounding
plants—Circumnutation of flower-stems—Circumnutation of
Dicotyledonous leaves—Singular oscillatory movement of leaves of
Dionaea—Leaves of Cannabis sink at night—Leaves of
Gymnosperms—Of Monocotyledons—Cryptogams—Concluding remarks
on the circumnutation of leaves; generally rise in the evening and sink in the
morning.
CHAPTER V.—MODIFIED CIRCUMNUTATION: CLIMBING PLANTS; EPINASTIC AND HYPONASTIC MOVEMENTS.
Circumnutation modified through innate causes or through the action of external
conditions—Innate causes—Climbing plants; similarity of their
movements with those of ordinary plants; increased amplitude; occasional points
of difference—Epinastic growth of young leaves—Hyponastic growth of
the hypocotyls and epicotyls of seedlings—Hooked tips of climbing and
other plants due to modified circumnutation—Ampelopsis
tricuspidata—Smithia Pfundii—Straightening of the tip due to
hyponasty—Epinastic growth and circumnutation of the flower-peduncles of
Trifolium repens and Oxalis carnosa.
CHAPTER VI.—MODIFIED CIRCUMNUTATION: SLEEP OR NYCTITROPIC MOVEMENTS, THEIR USE: SLEEP OF COTYLEDONS.
Preliminary sketch of the sleep or nyctitropic movements of
leaves—Presence of pulvini—The lessening of radiation the final
cause of nyctitropic movements—Manner of trying experiments on leaves of
Oxalis, Arachis, Cassia, Melilotus, Lotus and Marsilea and on the cotyledons of
Mimosa—Concluding remarks on radiation from leaves—Small
differences in the conditions make a great difference in the
result—Description of the nyctitropic position and movements of the
cotyledons of various plants—A List of species—Concluding
remarks—Independence of the nyctitropic movements of the leaves and
cotyledons of the same species—Reasons for believing that the movements
have been acquired for a special purpose.
CHAPTER VII.—MODIFIED CIRCUMNUTATION: NYCTITROPIC OR SLEEP MOVEMENTS OF LEAVES.
Conditions necessary for these movements—List of Genera and Families,
which include sleeping plants—Description of the movements in the several
Genera—Oxalis: leaflets folded at night—Averrhoa: rapid movements
of the leaflets—Porlieria: leaflets close when plant kept very
dry—Tropaeolum: leaves do not sleep unless well illuminated during
day—Lupinus: various modes of sleeping—Melilotus: singular
movements of terminal leaflet—Trifolium—Desmodium: rudimentary
lateral leaflets, movements of, not developed on young plants, state of their
pulvini—Cassia: complex movements of the leaflets—Bauhinia: leaves
folded at night—Mimosa pudica: compounded movements of leaves, effect of
darkness—Mimosa albida, reduced leaflets of—Schrankia: downward
movement of the pinnae—Marsilea: the only cryptogam known to
sleep—Concluding remarks and summary—Nyctitropism consists of
modified circumnutation, regulated by the alternations of light and
darkness—Shape of first true leaves.
CHAPTER VIII.—MODIFIED CIRCUMNUTATION: MOVEMENTS EXCITED BY LIGHT.
Distinction between heliotropism and the effects of light on the periodicity of
the movements of leaves—Heliotropic movements of Beta, Solanum, Zea, and
Avena—Heliotropic movements towards an obscure light in Apios, Brassica,
Phalaris, Tropaeolum, and Cassia—Apheliotropic movements of tendrils of
Bignonia—Of flower-peduncles of Cyclamen—Burying of the
pods—Heliotropism and apheliotropism modified forms of
circumnutation—Steps by which one movement is converted into the
other—Transversal-heliotropismus or diaheliotropism influenced by
epinasty, the weight of the part and apogeotropism—Apogeotropism overcome
during the middle of the day by diaheliotropism—Effects of the weight of
the blades of cotyledons—So called diurnal sleep—Chlorophyll
injured by intense light—Movements to avoid intense light.
CHAPTER IX.—SENSITIVENESS OF PLANTS TO LIGHT: ITS TRANSMITTED EFFECTS.
Uses of heliotropism—Insectivorous and climbing plants not
heliotropic—Same organ heliotropic at one age and not at
another—Extraordinary sensitiveness of some plants to light—The
effects of light do not correspond with its intensity—Effects of previous
illumination—Time required for the action of light—After-effects of
light—Apogeotropism acts as soon as light fails—Accuracy with which
plants bend to the light—This dependent on the illumination of one whole
side of the part—Localised sensitiveness to light and its transmitted
effects—Cotyledons of Phalaris, manner of bending—Results of the
exclusion of light from their tips—Effects transmitted beneath the
surface of the ground—Lateral illumination of the tip determines the
direction of the curvature of the base—Cotyledons of Avena, curvature of
basal part due to the illumination of upper part—Similar results with the
hypocotyls of Brassica and Beta—Radicles of Sinapis apheliotropic, due to
the sensitiveness of their tips—Concluding remarks and summary of
chapter—Means by which circumnutation has been converted into
heliotropism or apheliotropism.
CHAPTER X.—MODIFIED CIRCUMNUTATION: MOVEMENTS EXCITED BY GRAVITATION.
Means of
observation—Apogeotropism—Cytisus—Verbena—Beta—Gradual
conversion of the movement of circumnutation into apogeotropism in Rubus,
Lilium, Phalaris, Avena, and Brassica—Apogeotropism retarded by
heliotropism—Effected by the aid of joints or pulvini—Movements of
flower-peduncles of Oxalis—General remarks on
apogeotropism—Geotropism—Movements of radicles—Burying of
seed-capsules—Use of process—Trifolium
subterraneum—Arachis—Amphicarpæa—Diageotropism—Conclusion.
CHAPTER XI.—LOCALISED SENSITIVENESS TO GRAVITATION, AND ITS TRANSMITTED EFFECTS.
General considerations—Vicia faba, effects of amputating the tips of the
radicles—Regeneration of the tips—Effects of a short exposure of
the tips to geotropic action and their subsequent amputation—Effects of
amputating the tips obliquely—Effects of cauterising the
tips—Effects of grease on the tips—Pisum sativum, tips of radicles
cauterised transversely, and on their upper and lower sides—Phaseolus,
cauterisation and grease on the tips—Gossypium—Cucurbita, tips
cauterised transversely, and on their upper and lower sides—Zea, tips
cauterised—Concluding remarks and summary of chapter—Advantages of
the sensibility to geotropism being localised in the tips of the
radicles.
CHAPTER XII.—CONCLUDING REMARKS.
Nature of the circumnutating movement—History of a germinating
seed—The radicle first protrudes and circumnutates—Its tip highly
sensitive—Emergence of the hypocotyl or of the epicotyl from the ground
under the form of an arch—Its circumnutation and that of the
cotyledons—The seedling throws up a leaf-bearing stem—The
circumnutation of all the parts or organs—Modified
circumnutation—Epinasty and hyponasty—Movements of climbing
plants—Nyctitropic movements—Movements excited by light and
gravitation—Localised sensitiveness—Resemblance between the
movements of plants and animals—The tip of the radicle acts like a
brain.