Chap. IV. CUCURBITACE^. 135 



pressed, during the revolving movement, against the 

 projecting end of the shoot, would infallibly have 

 seized it in a useless or injurious manner. But the 

 main branch of the tendril, after revolving for a time 

 in a vertical position, spontaneously bends downwards ; 

 and in doing so, raises the spur-like branch, which 

 itself also curves upwards ; so that by these combined 

 movements it rises above the projecting end of the 

 shoot, and can now move freely without touching the 

 shoot ; and now it first becomes sensitive. 



The tips of both branches, when they come into 

 contact with a stick, grasp it like any ordinary tendril. 

 But in the course of a few davs, the lower surface 

 swells and becomes developed into a cellular layer, 

 which adapts itself closely to the wood, and firmly 

 adheres to it. This layer is analogous to the adhesive 

 discs formed by the extremities of the tendrils of 

 some species of Bignonict and of Ampelopsis ; but 

 in the Hanburya the layer is developed along the 

 terminal * inner surface, sometimes for a length of 

 If inches, and not at the extreme tip. The layer 

 is white, whilst the tendril is green, and near the 

 tip it is sometimes thicker than the tendril itself; it 

 generally spreads a little beyond the sides of the 

 tendril, and is fringed with free elongated cells, which 

 have enlarged globular or retort-shaped heads. This 

 cellular layer apparently secretes some resinous cement ; 

 or its adhesion to the wood was not lessened by an 

 immersion of 24 hrs. in alcohol or water, but was quite 

 loosened by a similar immersion in ether or turpentine. 



