FURTHER NOTES UPON THE GROWTH OF STEMS 



AFTER BEING CUT. 



By Byron D. Halsted. 



IN THE February issue of The Plant World for the current year 

 the writer presented some results in taking measurements upon 

 cut stems. The test was made by placing the stems at once in 



water, after which they were taken out one at a time, and in a 

 moment marked off into inch spaces with a stub pen dipped in India 

 ink. 



Attention was called to the subject by the noticeable elongation 

 of Crimson Clover ( Trifoliiim incarnatnm) stems that were standing 

 in a vase as a room adornment. 



It was found that stems of thirteen inches in length elongated in 

 one week to seventeen inches, or an increase of fully four inches. It 

 was also found that the belt of greatest elongation was in the first inch 

 from the top. 



Some further observations have been made this spring, and with 

 several plants. The Crimson Clover again kept to its record of the 

 previous year, and is one of the best subjects for a study of this sort. 



Sweet Clover {Melilotus alba L.) when cut somewhat before flow- 

 ering gave the following results for the best and the poorest specimen: 



Best. ' Poorest. 



ist inch elongated to 2.50 inches. 2.00 inches. 



1-35 

 1.25 



I-I5 

 I-I5 

 1. 10 

 1. 00 



9.00 inches. 



The stems did not elongate below the 7th inch. 



Stems of Day Lily {Hej/ierocallis) soon wilted, but during the first 

 day the uppermost six inches elongated to 7.10 inches. 



Poppy flower stalks, still in bud, did not elongate but a quarter of 

 an inch in a day for the first five inches below the bud. Pseonias were 

 practically the same as the Day Lily. 



Cut cultivated Iris stems grew six-tenths of an inch the first day 

 for the first five inches. 



Motherwort {Lconnrus Cardiaca L.) is peculiar in that its growth 

 is nearly all confined to the first two inches, which elongate rapidly to 

 double the space occupied when cut. 



