CHAPTER XVIII 



HOW PLANTS CLIMB 



233. We have seen that plants struggle or contend for 

 a place in which to live. Some of them have become suited to 

 grow in the forest shade, others to grow on other plants as 

 epiphytes, others to climb to the light. Observe how woods 

 grapes, and other forest climbers, spread their foliage on 

 the very top of the forest tree, while their long flexile trunks 

 may be bare. One who has seen a dense tropical forest has 

 realized the struggle for light on the tops of the trees. 



234. There are several ways by which plants climb, but 

 most climbers may be classified into four groups: (1) scram- 

 blers, (2) root-climbers, (3) tendril-climbers, (4) twiners. 



235. Scramblers. Some plants rise to light and air by 

 resting their long and weak stems on the tops of bushes 

 and quick-growing herbs. Their stems are elevated by the 



growing twigs of the plants 

 on which they recline. Such 

 plants are scramblers. Usu- 

 ally they are provided with 

 prickles or bristles. In most 

 weedy swamp thickets, 

 scrambling plants may be 

 found. Briars, some roses, 

 bed-straw or galium, bitter- 

 sweet (Solanum Dulcamara, 



174. A root-climber. The English ivy. 



not the celastrus), the tear- 

 thumb polygonums, and other plants are familiar examples 

 of scramblers. 



236. Root-climbers. Some plants climb by means of 



(112) 



