50 SAGACITY AND MORALITY OF PLANTS, 



develops ivy-like rootlets for attachment, although 

 its weak stem has the power of twining as well. 

 A well-known North American plant, the Trumpet- 

 flower {Tecoma radicans), is another species employing 

 adventitious roots to assist it in climbing. 



Whilst numerous species of weak-stemmed plants 

 thus raise themselves to a greater height, and put 

 themselves into a better position, by adopting one 

 particular kind of device, we find others which 

 have succeeded in acquiring several kinds. One 

 cannot but be struck with the fact that these 

 mechanical contrivances are not peculiar to any 

 order of plants. They are shared by members of 

 all alike. Many of the species adopting them are 

 mere vegetable adventurers, others are species which 

 " have come down in the world." The flexible stems 

 of the Brambles have been already mentioned as admir- 

 ably adapted to penetrate the thickets of hedges and 

 shrubs. In doing so they are assisted by their re- 

 curved hooks, which act as grappling-irons. But 

 perhaps the most perfectly developed of grappling- 

 iron machinery is that possessed by one of the 

 commonest of our English wild plants, the Goose- 

 grass (Galium aparine). Its other name of "Cleavers" 

 well expresses its power to stick on and cleave 

 to anything it rubs against, or is thrown at. A 

 pocket magnifier makes the reason plain. Stems, 

 leaf-stalks, leaves, and fruits — all are crowded 

 with myriads of hooks. No wonder it grows so 



