198 CONCLUDING EEMAEKS. Chap. V. 



3ommon with plants, than is generally supposed to be 

 the case by those who haTO not attended to the subject. 

 I have given one remarkable instance, namely that of 

 the MaurandiasemperflorenSjthe young flower-peduncles 

 of which spontaneously revolve in very small circles, 

 and bend when gently rubbed to the touched side; 

 yet this plant certainly does not profit by these two 

 feebly developed powers. A rigorous examination of 

 other young plants would probably show slight spon- 

 taneous movements in their stems, petioles or pe- 

 duncles, as well as sensitiveness to a touch;* We see 

 at least that the Matirandia might, by a little aug- 

 mentation of the powers which it already possesses, 

 come first to grasp a support by its flower-peduncles, 

 and then, by the abortion of some of its flowers (as with 

 Vitis or Cardios^ermiiw^i acquire perfect tendrils. 



There is one other interesting point which deserves 

 notice. We have seen that some tendrils owe their 

 origin to modified leaves, and others to modified flower- 

 peduncles ; so that some are foliar and others axial 

 in their nature. It might therefore have been expected 

 that they would have presented some difference in 

 function. This is not the case. On the contrary, they 



* Such slight spontaneous shown in relation to our present sub- 

 movements, I now find, have been jeot (' Jenaischen Zeitsohrift,' Bil. 

 for some time known to occur, V. Heft 2, p. 133) that the stems, 

 for instance with the flower-stems whilst young, of an Alisma and 

 of Brassica napus and with the of a Linum are continually 

 leaves of many plants : Sachs' performing slight movements to 

 ' Text-Book of Botany ' 1875, pp. all points of the compass, like 

 .7(16, 785. Fritz MuUer also has those of climbing plants. 



