THE ASSERTIVE PLANT 7 



making the movement a good deal more rapid 

 than is normally the case. As a rule, the tendril 

 is not content with merely looping itself once 

 round the support, but, in order to make quite 

 sure that there can be no slipping away, doubles 

 or trebles the circles. When the attachment has 

 been rendered quite secure, the strange spiral 

 twisting comes into operation. As a rule, the 

 turning goes on in one direction for half the length 

 of the tendril, and in an opposite way for the 

 remaining half. 



This coiling business is very interesting to 

 watch, and is started with the formation of a 

 small crank-like process, which continues to make 

 complete revolutions, swinging downwards and 

 upwards with the greatest regularity. As it does 

 this the tendril is, of course, coiled on either side 

 of the bent portion, in one direction on one side, 

 and in an opposite direction on the other side. 

 When the coiling is completed the small crank-like 

 part will appear as a little straight section between 

 the two spiral portions. At times it is to be 

 noticed that tendrils will develop several series of 

 spirals, and thus there may be two or three of the 

 alternating portions. The spiral conformation, of 

 course, very much tends to strengthen the organ, 

 whilst at the same time it secures to it a certain 



