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Sensitive Life of Asparagus plumosus. 

 A morpho-physiological Study 



by 

 Frederick C. Newcombe, 



University of Michigan. 



Introduction. 



Few cultivated plants have become more widely distributed 

 than the one from South Africa which forms the subject of the 

 study here presented. Asparagus plumosus Baker var. nanus is 

 now found thruout the civilized world as a house plant, and 

 commercially shares with Myrsiphyllum the honors of extensive 

 use for festive decoration. As stated by Miss Conover 1 ), this 

 plant is seen in all sizes of growth, but commonly in homes in 

 only the low form, 10 to 30 cm, but in hights up to several 

 meters in greenhouses. The differences in appearance between the 

 low form and the high are due merely to age and the methods 

 of cultivation. From the seed rises a slender shoot which attains 

 a hight of about 10 cm, and then bends 2 to 5 cm of its apex 

 over into the inclined position, at the same time unfolding from 

 its uppermost nodes lateral branches of 2 or 3 Orders. The lateral 

 branches at first take a position radial to the bearing axis, without 

 much regard to the direction of gravitation. During the ensuing 

 2 weeks, the main tip and the branches pass gradually to the 

 horizontal plane, tho 1 / i to l jz of the primary branches may remain 

 permanently no farther than 45° from the vertical. The ultimate 

 branches, the needles, show but slight regard to the direction of 

 gravitation; for they grow out in all directions radial to their place 

 of origin, and later show but small movement toward the horizontal 

 plane. 



The seedling develops a rhizome of a few millimeters length 

 which grows but slowly beneath the ground, and which sends 



') Conover, Behavior of Asparagus -plumosus toward Gravitation and 

 Light, (Plant World. XVI. 1913.) 



