178 . TENDEIL-BEAEEBS. Chap. IV. 



tliestem oiB. capreolata twines imperfectly; the much- 

 branched tendrils revolve in a capricious manner, and 

 bend from the light to the dark ; their hooked ex- 

 tremitieSj even whilst immature, crawl into crevices, 

 and, when mature, seize any thin projecting point; 

 in either case they develop adhesive discs, and these 

 have the power of enveloping the finest fibres. 



In the allied Eccremocarpus the intemodes, petioles, 

 and much-branched tendrils all spontaneously revolve 

 together. The tendrils do not as a whole turn from 

 the light ; but their bluntly-hooked extremities arrange 

 themselves neatly on any surface with which they 

 come into contact, apparently so as to avoid the light. 

 They act best when each branch seizes a few thin 

 stems, like the culms of a grass, which they after- 

 wards draw together into a solid bundle by the spiral 

 contraction of all the branches. In Cobaea the 

 finely-branched tendrils alone revolve; the branches 

 terminate in sharp, hard, double, little hooks, with 

 both points directed to the same side ; and these turn 

 by well-adapted movements to any object with which 

 they come into contact. The tips of the branches 

 also crawl into dark crevices or holes. The tendrils 

 and intemodes of Ampelopsis have little or no power 

 of revolving; the tendrils are but little sensitive to 

 contact; their hooked extremities cannot seize thin 

 objects; they will not even clasp a stick, unless in 

 extreme need of a support; but they turn from the 

 light to the dark, and, spreading out their branches in 

 contact with any nearly flat surface, develop discs. 



