Chap.iil composite. 117 



Brazil there is another species which is a leaf-climber. 

 Mutisia is the only genus in the family, as far as 

 I can learn, which bears tendrils: it is therefore 

 interesting to find that these, though rather less 

 metamorphosed from their primordial foliar condition 

 than are most other tendrils, yet display all the 

 ordinary characteristic movements, both those that 

 are spontaneous and those which are excited by con- 

 tact. 



The long leaf bears seven or eight alternate leaflets, 

 and terminates in a tendril which, in a plant of con- 

 siderable size, was 5 inches in length. It consists 

 generally of three branches ; and these, although 

 much elongated, evidently represent the petioles and 

 midribs of three leaflets; for they closely resemble 

 the same parts in an ordinary leaf, in being rectangular 

 on the upper surface, furrowed, and edged with green. 

 Moreover, the green edging of the tendrils of young 

 plants sometimes expands into a narrow lamina or 

 blade. Each branch is curved a little downwards, and 

 is slightly hooked at the extremity. 



A young upper intemode revolved, judging from 

 three revolutions, at an average rate of 1 hr. 38. m. ; it 

 swept ellipses witli the longer axes directed at right 

 angles to one another; but the plant, .apparently, 

 cannot twine. The petioles and the tendrils are both 

 in constant movement. But their movement is slower 

 and much less regularly elliptical than that of the 

 internodes. They appear to be much affected by the 

 light, for the whole leaf usually sinks down during the 



