STRAGGLERS 107 



We see, therefore, that the twining of a shoot 

 round its support and its firmness is not such a simple 

 process, as it may at first appear. A peculiarity of 

 the top internodes causes it to bend sideways instead 

 of growing upright; the irregularity of its growth and 

 the influence of gravity cause it to nutate or revolve 

 slowly round; and the upward tendency of all shoots 

 makes the spiral longer and narrower so as to clasp 

 more tightly still ; and then with the hardening of its 

 substance, so that the coils do not come loose, the 

 process is complete. 



4. CLIMBERS. Climbers support themselves on trees 

 and rocks in various ways. 



In many cases the plant is thorny and its thorns 

 catch on the branches of the larger tree, and prevent 

 it sliding down. This is the means, for instance, where- 

 by the common BOUGAINVILLEA grows up trees or 

 straggles over some support. Some species of ZIZYPHUS 

 straggle by the same means over small trees. So 

 to a certain extent does the common LANTANA, and 

 CAPPARIS HORRIDA (fig. 18). In the moist forests (e.g. 

 of the slopes of the ghauts) are many plants of this 

 kind, among these several species of a climbing Palm, 

 CALAMUS (fig. 21), l which have very thin stems, in some 

 cases no thicker than an ordinary lead-pencil, profusely 

 supplied with long straight thorns by which they are 

 supported in the thick vegetation, and grow to im- 

 mense heights, attaining several hundred feet in length. 



1 The steins of these climbing Palms Rotangs are commonly 

 known as 'canes', and used for making the ordinary split-cane 

 floor-mat of Indian houses, the seats of chairs, walking sticks 

 (Rattan-cane), etc. 



