SENSITIVE PLANTS 



they are buried in the soil, or even laid upon it, 

 the plant generally perishes. 



Many seedling plants when they break through 

 the surface of the soil, exhibit striking aspects of 

 sensibility almost immediatel3\ In Fig. 52 (Plate 

 35) is shown a young plant of the common bryony, 

 the sole British representative of the Cucumber 

 and Vegetable Marrow family : note how the 

 climbing tendrils are stretching out into the sur- 

 rounding air in various directions, dihgently search- 

 ing for a friendly grip that shall give them a pull 

 up in life, that the plant may spread out its leaves 

 to the sunlight. You have only to touch one of 

 these tendrils for a few times at intervals to make it 

 curve in the direction from which it was touched. 



Thus, the young climbing plant springs up and 

 develops its stem and leaves, just as all honest 

 plants should do ; but, later, it reveals the worst 

 side of its character, for it then sends out its ten- 

 drils which embrace the stems and leaves of neigh- 

 bouring plants ; and then over these stronger 

 plants it scrambles at a reckless pace, spreading out 

 its leaves and holding up its flowers to the fertilis- 

 ing insects — of course, much to the disadvantage of 

 those plants which are gathered within its coils. 

 Thus, by means of these sensitive tendrils it can, in 

 the course of the summer, readily reach the hedge- 

 row top with its weak stem and small stock of 

 material ; whereas its woody host has taken 

 several years to get its leaves and flowers so high 

 in -the world. Most climbing plants present simi- 

 lar interesting aspects of sensibility. 



69 



