CHAr. IV. CUCUKBITACE^. 127 



CHAPTEE IV. 



Tendbil-Beakeb:? — (crnitinued). 



CicuBBiTACE^ — Homologous nature if the tendrils — Echinocyatislohaia, 

 remarkable movements of the tendrils to avoid seizing the terminal 

 shoot — Tendrils not excited by contact ■with another tendril or by 

 drops of water — TJndulatory movement of the extremity of the tendril 

 — Matiburya, adherent discs — Vitac^ — Gradation between the 

 flower-peduncles and tendrils of the vine — Tendrils of the Virginian 

 Creeper turn from the light, and, after contact, develop adhesive 

 discs — SAPiNDACEiE — PASSiFLOBAOEiE — Passiflora gracilis — Kapid 

 revolving movement and sensitiveness of the tendrils— Not sensitive 

 to the contact of other tendrils or of drops of water— Spiral con- 

 traction of tendrils — Summary on the nature and action of 

 tendi-ils, 



CuouEBiTAOE^. — The tendrils in this family have 

 been ranked by competent judges as modified leaves, 

 stipules, or branches ; or as partly a leaf and partly 

 a branch. De CandoUe believes that the tendrils 

 differ in their homological nature in two of the tribes.* 

 From facts recently adduced, Mr. Berkeley thinks 

 that Payer's view is the most probable, namely, that 

 the tendril is "a separate portion of the leaf itself;" 

 but much may be said in favour of the belief that it 

 is a modified flower-peduncle.t 



* I am indebted to Prof. Oliver t ' Gardeners' Chronicle,' 1864, 



for information on this head. In p. 721. From the affinity of the 



the Bulletin de la Soci4te' Bota- CucurbitacesetothePassifloracesB, 



nique de France, 1857, there are it might be argued that the 



numerous discussions on the tendrils of the former are modified 



nature of the tendrils iu this flower-peduncles, as is certainly 



family. the case with those of Passion- 



