Chai>. DDL POLEMONIACE.E. 107 



the internocles revolve ; so that here we have the tendril 

 alone moving. On the other hand, with most of the 

 species of Bignonia and the Eccremocarpus, the inter- 

 nodes, tendrils, and petioles all revolved. The long, 

 straight, tapering main stem of the tendril of the Cobee.a 

 bears alternate branches ; and each branch is several 

 times divided, with the finer branches as thin as very- 

 thin bristles and extremely flexible, so that they are 

 blown about by a breath of air ; yet they are strong 

 and highly elastic. The extremity of each branch is a 

 little flattened, and terminates in a minnte double 

 (though sometimes single) hook, formed of a hard, trans- 

 lucent, woody substance, and as sharp as the finest 

 needle. On a tendril which was eleven inches long I 

 counted ninety-four of these beautifully constructed 

 little hooks. They readily catch soft wood, or gloves, 

 or the skin of the naked hand. With the exception of 

 these hardened hooks, and of the basal part of the central 

 stem, every part of every branchlet is highly sensitive 

 on all sides to a slight touch, and bends in a few 

 minutes towards the touched side. By lightly rub- 

 bing several sub-branches on opposite sides, the whole 

 tendril rapidly assumed an extraordinarily crooked 

 shape. These movements from contact do not inter- 

 fere with the ordinary revolving movement. The 

 branches, after becoming greatly curved from being 

 touched, straighten themselves at a quicker rate than 

 in almost any other tendril seen by me, namely, in 

 between half an hour and an hour. After the tendril 

 has caught any object, spiral contraction likewise 



