CLIMBING PLANTS***


Transcribed from the 1906 John Murray edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org

                          [Picture: Book cover]





                              THE MOVEMENTS
                              AND HABITS OF
                             CLIMBING PLANTS.


                        BY CHARLES DARWIN, F.R.S.

                                * * * * *

                             POPULAR EDITION

                                * * * * *

                                 LONDON:
                      JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
                                  1906.




PREFACE


THIS Essay first appeared in the ninth volume of the ‘Journal of the
Linnean Society,’ published in 1865.  It is here reproduced in a
corrected and, I hope, clearer form, with some additional facts.  The
illustrations were drawn by my son, George Darwin.  Fritz Müller, after
the publication of my paper, sent to the Linnean Society (Journal, vol.
ix., p. 344) some interesting observations on the climbing plants of
South Brazil, to which I shall frequently refer.  Recently two important
memoirs, chiefly on the difference in growth between the upper and lower
sides of tendrils, and on the mechanism of the movements of
twining-plants, by Dr. Hugo de Vries, have appeared in the ‘Arbeiten des
Botanischen Instituts in Würzburg,’ Heft. iii., 1873.  These memoirs
ought to be carefully studied by every one interested in the subject, as
I can here give only references to the more important points.  This
excellent observer, as well as Professor Sachs, {iv} attributes all the
movements of tendrils to rapid growth along one side; but, from reasons
assigned towards the close of my fourth chapter, I cannot persuade myself
that this holds good with respect to those due to a touch.  In order that
the reader may know what points have interested me most, I may call his
attention to certain tendril-bearing plants; for instance, Bignonia
capreolata, Cobæa, Echinocystis, and Hanburya, which display as beautiful
adaptations as can be found in any part of the kingdom of nature.  It is,
also, an interesting fact that intermediate states between organs fitted
for widely different functions, may be observed on the same individual
plant of Corydalis claviculata and the common vine; and these cases
illustrate in a striking manner the principle of the gradual evolution of
species.




APPENDIX TO PREFACE (1882).


SINCE the publication of this Edition two papers by eminent botanists
have appeared; Schwendener, ‘Das Winden der Pflanzen’ (Monatsberichte der
Berliner Akademie, Dec. 1881), and J. Sachs, ‘Notiz über Schlingpflanzen’
(Arbeiten des botanischen Instituts in Würzburg, Bd. ii. p. 719, 1882).
The view “that the capacity of revolving, on which most climbers depend,
is inherent, though undeveloped, in almost every plant in the vegetable
kingdom” (‘Climbing Plants,’ p. 205), has been confirmed by the
observations on circumnutation since given in ‘The Power of Movement in
Plants.’




ERRATA.


On pp. 28, 32, 40, 53, statements are made with reference to the supposed
acceleration of the revolving movement towards the light.  It appears
from the observations given in ‘The Power of Movement in Plants,’ p. 451,
that these conclusions were drawn from insufficient observations, and are
erroneous.




THE MOVEMENTS AND HABITS OF CLIMBING PLANTS.


CHAPTER I.
TWINING PLANTS.


Introductory remarks—Description of the twining of the Hop—Torsion of the
stems—Nature of the revolving movement, and manner of ascent—Stems not
irritable—Rate of revolution in various plants—Thickness of the support
round which plants can twine—Species which revolve in an anomalous
manner.

I WAS led to this subject by an interesting, but short paper by Professor
Asa Gray on the movements of the tendrils of some Cucurbitaceous plants.
{1a}  My observations were more than half completed before I learnt that
the surprising phenomenon of the spontaneous revolutions of the stems and
tendrils of climbing plants had been long ago observed by Palm and by
Hugo von Mohl, {1b} and had subsequently been the subject of two memoirs
by Dutrochet. {1c}  Nevertheless, I believe that my observations, founded
on the examination of above a hundred widely distinct living species,
contain sufficient novelty to justify me in publishing them.

Climbing plants may be divided into four classes.  First, those which
twine spirally round a support, and are not aided by any other movement.
Secondly, those endowed with irritable organs, which when they touch any
object clasp it; such organs consisting of modified leaves, branches, or
flower-peduncles.  But these two classes sometimes graduate to a certain
extent into one another.  Plants of the third class ascend merely by the
aid of hooks; and those of the fourth by rootlets; but as in neither
class do the plants exhibit any special movements, they present little
interest, and