86 



TENDRIL-BEABEKS, 



Chap. III. 



Bignoniace^}. This family contains many tendril- 

 bearers, some twiners, and some root-climbers. The 

 tendrils always consist of modified leaves. Nine species 

 of Bignonia, selected by hazard, are here described, 

 in order to show what diversity of structure and 

 action there may be within the same genus, and to 

 show what remarkable powers some tendrils possess. 

 The species, taken together, afford connecting links 



Fig. 5. 



Bignonia. 



Unnamed species from Kew. 



between twiners, leaf-climbers, tendril-bearers, and root- 

 climbers. 



Bignonia (an unnamed species from Kew, closely 

 allied to B. unguis, but with smaller and rather broader 

 leaves). A young shoot from a cut-down plant made 

 three revolutions against the sun, at an average rate of 

 2 hrs. 6m. The stem is thin and flexible ; it twined 

 round a slender vertical stick, ascending from left to 

 right, as perfectly and as regularly as any true twining- 

 plant. When thus ascending, it makes no use of its 

 tendrils or petioles ; but when it twined round a 



