14 Newcombe, Sensitive Life of Asparagus ptumosus, 



above ground in slow succession shoot after shoot, the lirst rising 

 a littlc higher ihan the seedling shoot, and euch higher than its 

 predecessor. These shoots turn their tips tu the horizontal, and 

 subsequently thc branches begin anfolding. Unlike the bchavior 

 of similar members in seedlings, the branches on thesc shoots from 

 the rhizomes nnt'old in the horizontal plane, and the needles, instead 

 of radiating in all directiona from their origin as in seedlings, 

 radiate within thc strict liraits of thc horizontal plane, giving to 

 this horizontal part the appearance of haviog been in a plant-press. 

 Of assimilating leaves, thc plant produces none. The funetion of 

 carbon-assimilation is assumed by all aerial parts of the plant except 

 the rudimentary leaves, but chiefly by the last order of branches 

 which are needles growing in Clusters of 7 to 25, the needles 

 being 3 to 7 mm in length and about 0.3 mm in diameter. The 

 needles at the apex of the main axis are borne directly on this 

 main axis, but, as one goes proximal!} 7 , they are borne on branches 

 of the Ist, 2d, 3d, and 4th order. 



As this plant is seen in pots in houses, it presents only the 

 appearance described above, and may attain a total length of not 

 more than 30 to 60 cm even after the lapse of 3 years. The 

 aerial shoots may live for 2 years at least, and thus there may 

 persist from a Single rhizome a half-dozen shoots, not differing 

 greatly in night, clustered near together, and all turning the apical 

 8 to 20 cm over into the horizontal plane, and there dividing into 

 liundreds of beautiful and delicate branches and needles, the 

 branching being generally confined to the horizontal portion. 



If, however, a 2- or a 3-year-old plant be set out in un- 

 contined earth, it soon begins the formation of larger shoots. A 

 shoot that rises to a hight of 40 to 60 cm nearly always begins 

 circumnutation at that hight, and will twine, if a suitable support 

 is offered. The tip bends from its formerly orthotropic course 45° 

 to 180° or more, and describes in its movement a cireuit 4 to 

 10 cm in diameter. Various tips, timed for periodicity when the 

 temperature was 28°, were found to make their cireuit, some in 

 2 hours, some in 8 hours, and others between these extremes. 



These twining shoots show all gradations of length between 

 a half-meter and several meters. A twiner produces no lateral 

 branches tili near the close of its elongation. and the lirst branches 

 to develop are intermediate between the basc and apex of the 

 central axis. As the main axis is near the end of its growth, it 

 rcases to circumnutate, 10 cm more or less of the tip straightens 

 out horizontally from its supporting cord or stake, each node of 

 this horizontal tip and of the stem below rapidly unfolds its branch, 

 and we have a narrow Spiral from which stand out in all directions 

 the lateral branches as beautiful horizontal fronds, branching to 

 the 4th or 5th order. An exception must be made to the last 

 Statement: The lowermost nodes of the central axis produce no 

 branches. This leaves the lower portion of thc shoot for a distance 

 of 30 to 50 cm bare, except for the stout nodal scales. 



