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"The Power of Movement in Plants"

M. to 9 P.M. Oct. 30th. Movement of
bead magnified 48 times.
Selaginella Kraussii (?) (Lycopodiaceae).--A very young plant, only .4 of
an inch in height, had sprung up in a pot in the hot-house. An extremely
fine glass filament was fixed to the end of the frond-like stem, and the
movement of the bead traced on a horizontal glass. It changed its course
several times, as shown in Fig. 54, whilst observed during 13 h. 15 m., and
returned at night to a point not far distant from that whence it had
started in the morning. There can be no doubt that this little plant
circumnutated.
Fig. 54. Selaginella Kraussii (?): circumnutation of young plant, kept in
darkness, traced from 8.45 A.M. to 10 P.M. Oct. 31st.
[page 67]

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.


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