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"The Power of Movement in Plants"

xii. vol. ii. and p. 59, chap.
xiv. On peloric flowers, chap. xiii. p. 32; and see p. 337 on their
position on the plant. With respect to seeds, p. 340. On reversion by means
of buds, p. 438, chap. xi. vol. i.
[page 191]
sible, or even probable, that this tendency to reversion may have been
increased, as it is manifestly of service to the plant.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER.
A part or organ may be called sensitive, when its irritation excites
movement in an adjoining part. Now it has been shown in this chapter, that
the tip of the radicle of the bean is in this sense sensitive to the
contact of any small object attached to one side by shellac or gum-water;
also to a slight touch with dry caustic, and to a thin slice cut off one
side. The radicles of the pea were tried with attached objects and caustic,
both of which acted. With Phaseolus multiflorus the tip was hardly
sensitive to small squares of attached card, but was sensitive to caustic
and to slicing. The radicles of Tropaeolum were highly sensitive to
contact; and so, as far as we could judge, were those of Gossypium
herbaceum, and they were certainly sensitive to caustic.


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