170 The Ottawa Naturalist. [December 



EXPERIMENT ILLUSTRATING THE CIRCULXTION OF 

 FLUIDS AND VITALITY IN PLANTS. 



By an Ottawa Naturalist. 



For some years back 1 have had a violent fancy for the com- 

 mon buttercup, {RanuncuLas acris, L., introduced from Europe) 

 which has spread so rapidly and in such numbers in our meadows, 

 fields and orchards that it is one ot the very commonest weeds in 

 man) portions of Canada to-day. 



It is in point of construction one ol the most perfect of our 

 flowering- plants. Look at its roots, its stem, its leaves, its hairs, 

 its branches, petioles, flowers ; the calyx, corolla, stamens, an- 

 thers, pistils, stigma, everything about it, and note the order, 

 shape, relations and arrangements of these parts and their sym- 

 metry ; keep this order in your mind as representing the type of a 

 large and important family of plants, the family which stands at 

 the head ot all plant-life in point of perfection. There are many 

 interesting experiments and studies which centre round this 

 species. 



The following experiment with a wilted sprig of the common 

 buttercup, which measured nine inches in length, will serve to 

 illustrate not only the great rapidity with which this species takes 

 up moisture — water — through its marvelous system of canals in 

 its internal construction, but also the vitality which it exhibits. 



Taking this nine-inch specimen of the common buttercup 

 which, by the bye, had remained for fully an hour and a half in a 

 glass without water, it was observed that all the flowers and 

 buds at the tops of the branches or petioles had wilted, and to 

 such an extent that some were hanging- with their receptacles 

 facing the g-round and fjr quite a distance back some of the 

 petioles also were seen to be in an inverted position, at right ang-Ies 

 to the horizontal. 



It may be noted that the wound made to the plant, where it 

 was severed, two or three inches from the root, as is the case in 

 most plants had been partially closed up by dint of the constriction 

 which took place in the shredded cells during the drying process. 

 This phenomenon appears to indicate the provision made or con- 

 trivance used to retain as long as possible whatever moisture the 



