206 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 
windstill chamber, into which the stomata of the under surfaces 
open, as, ¢.g., in Viola atropwrpurea.* 
Actual dragging down of the stem is found in, e.g., the tubercles 
of many orchids, which may be buried 6-10 centimetres. It has 
been recorded for Monkshood, Ranunculus bulbosus, Linn., Liliwm 
Martagon, Primulas, Auricula, and the Carrot.” 
Amongst the Rosacex, the node of the strawberry runner is 
drawn a centimetre deep into the soil. The stolons of Rubus 
bifrons, Vest, are also drawn down by the roots, according to 
Korner von Marilaun.* 
The explanation given is, that the root contracts or shortens 
sometimes as much as a third of its length, so that the plant is 
drawn down. We were examining some roots of the Raspberry 
near Aikenhead, and found that the older roots were almost 
invariably thrown into complicated curves and spirals. They 
develop chiefly in the loose leaf-mould which is scarcely decom- 
posed, and they spread almost horizontally to a considerable 
distance, 
In one case we found what appeared to resemble pretty closely 
an ordinary tendril. The root had a straight portion and two 
coils, one on each side. Subsequent examination showed us that 
such appearances are very common, though not by any means 
general. With branch tendrils this is due to the revolving of the 
free parts of the tendril after it has become attached to the 
support. The result is, that the stem is drawn closer to the 
branch, and the coiling affords a give-and-take to the wind, 
which is of some importance. 
Darwin’s law, that all the parts or organs of every plant, whilst 
they continue to grow, are continually circumnutating, gives a 
very simple explanation of the coils and curves of these Rasp- 
berry roots, 
Once the root end is fairly fixed in the ground, then the free 
part of the root that is still growing may behave like a tendril, 
and throw itself into these curious coils. The result is, that the 
stem parts are drawn into the ground, and a great mechanical 
advantage is gained. The specimens handed round show the 
tendril curvature. 
1 Meigen, Hngler’s Jahrbuch, Bd. XVII., 1894. 
2 Korner, Natural History of Plants. 

