PHOSPHORESCENCE OF PLANTS. 157 



observer. The self-emitted light of the carbuncle of the 

 romancer is realized in these remarkable phenomena. 



The phosphorescence of some plants and flowers is 

 not, perhaps, of the same order as that which belongs to 

 either of the conditions we have been considering. It 

 appears to be due rather to an absorption of light and 

 its subsequent liberation. If a nasturtium is plucked 

 during sunshine, and carried into a dark room, the eye, 

 after it has reposed for a short time, will discover the 

 flower by a light emitted from its leaves. 



The following remarkable example, and an explana- 

 tion of it by the poet Goethe, is instructive : 



"On the 19th of June, 1799, late in the evening, 

 when the twilight was deepening into a clear night, as I 

 was walking up and down the garden with a friend, we 

 very distinctly observed a flame-like appearance near 

 the oriental poppy, the flowers of which are remarkable 

 for their powerful red colour. We approached the place, 

 and looked attentively at the flowers, but could perceive 

 nothing further, till at last, by passing and repassing 

 repeatedly, while we looked side-ways on them, we suc- 

 ceeded in renewing the appearance as often as we 

 pleased. It proved to be a physiological phenomenon, 

 and the apparent corruscation was nothing but the 

 spectrum of the flower in the complementary blue-green 

 colour. The twilight accounts for the eye being in a 

 perfect state of repose, and thus very susceptible, and 

 the colour of the poppy is sufficiently powerful in the 

 summer twilight of the longest days to act with full 

 effect, and produce a complementary image."* 



The leaves of the cenothera macrocarpa are said to 

 exhibit phosphoric light when the air is highly charged 

 with electricity. The agarics of the olive-grounds of 

 Montpelier have been observed to be luminous at night ; 

 but they are said to exhibit no light, even in darkness, 



* Theory of Colours : by Goethe; translated by Eastlake. 



