CHAPTER XVI 



HOW PLANTS CLIMB 



221. We have seen that plants struggle or contend for 

 a place in which to live. Some of them become adapted 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 foli- 

 age on the very top of the forest tree, while their long 

 flexile trunks may be bare. 



222. There are several ways in which plants climb, but 

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

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



223. 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 ele- 

 vated by the growing twigs 

 of the plants on which they 

 recline. Such plants are 

 scramblers. Usually they 

 are provided with prickles 

 or bristles. In most weedy 

 swamp thickets, scramb- 

 ling plants may be found. 

 Briars, some roses, bed- 

 straw or galium, bitter - 

 sweet (Solanum Dulcamara, 



not the celastrus), the tear-thumb polygonums, and other 

 plants are familiar examples of scramblers. 



224. ROOT-CLIMBERS.— Some plants climb by means of 

 true roots, as explained in paragraph 31. These roots 



(108) 



A root-climber.— The English ivy. 



