Climbing Plants and Plant Migrations 125 



Tendril Climbers. The Pea family, Grenadilla and other 

 plants, climb by tendrils. The pumpkin, cucumber, and 

 calabash seldom make use of their tendrils. Their heavy fruits 

 would be a great strain on the plants ; but several native rela- 

 tives, Luflfa and Lagenaria, with their lighter fibrous fruits, are 

 climbers, and Gerrardanthus megarhiza, T. and H., of Natal 

 climbs to the tops of highest trees. 



FIG. 112. The first leaf of the 

 FIG. in. Microloma gets up in the world branch in the pumpkin family 



by twining on stems of other plants. changes into a tendril. 



The tendrils of the Pea are formed from the upper leaflets 

 of a compound leaf. This use of the leaf throws the responsi- 

 bility of making food upon the stipules or upon the broad- 

 winged stem. In the grape vine the main stem turns aside 

 to form the tendril and to bear the fruit, while the tendrils of 

 Clematis are formed from the pgtioles. What is the tendril of 

 the Grenadilla ? 



The beautiful scarlet and orange blossoms of Gloriosa 



