GROWTH UNDER CONSTANT EXTERNAL CONDITIONS. 74 1 



Zone. Increment. 

 5th 1-6 



4th 3-5 



3rd 8-2 



2nd 5-8 



apex 1*5 



In this case, therefore, the third zone, where the maximum increase of growth took 

 place, was at first at a distance of only 2 mm. from the apex. 



It is clear that if an organ is divided into zones of small length, each zone 

 will in general contain a larger number of cells the nearer it is to the punctu77i 

 vegetationis, since the cells are longer the further they are from the apex. But from 

 the point where growth ceases the number of cells in the successive zones of an 

 organ of uniform structure will be the same. If therefore the zones are again 

 designated by the numbers I, II, III, &c., the number of cells in them by N^, Ng, 

 Ng . . . Nn, then we have : — 



I II III IV V VI VII VIII 



N, > N^ > N3 > N, > N, > N, > N, = N3. 



But the difference in the number of cells in the zones is very far from being 

 the cause of the difference in the rapidity of growth that prevails in them ; as is 

 seen at once if it is recollected that the number continually decreases from the apex 

 throughout the growing region, while the rapidity of growth first increases and 

 then decreases. This may be expressed by the following formula : — 



1 II III IV V VI VII VIII 



\ < I2 < I3 < I^ < I5 > Ig > I, > zero. 



If it were possible to divide in the same manner a filament of Vaucheria, a 

 root-hair of Marchantia, or a similar unicellular organ, into small zones, it can 

 scarcely be doubted (as we may conclude from other circumstances dependent on 

 growth) that we should find the same law to regulate the distribution of the rate of 

 growth in individual cells endowed with a power of apical growth. Since the same 

 law applies to roots and stems — whether zones i or 2 millimetres or stems i or 2 

 centimetres in length are observed — it is to be expected that this formula would hold 

 good also if zones of only a tenth or hundredth, or even thousandth of a millimetre 

 could be marked out and measured. In other words, we should find that the law of 

 the grand period holds good for each single minute particle of the surface of the 

 wall of a young cell. 



If the power of any particular zone to attain a definite length is called its' 

 Energy of Growth, then a zone which up to the time when its growth ceases reaches 

 a length of 10 mm. would have a smaller energy than one which continues to grow 

 until it has reached a length of 100 mm. Thus, for example, the successive inter- 

 nodes of most stems each of which was at one period i mm. long, differ very 

 greatly in length when mature ; the internodes first formed are short, the next 

 longer, and finally we have one the longest of all, followed again towards the apex 



