Onap. IV. SAPINDACE. 151 
The two or three upper internodes, whilst young, 
steadily revolve; those on one plant made two circles, 
against the course of the sun, in 3hrs. 12m.; in a 
second plant the same course was followed, and the 
two circles were completed in 3 hrs. 41 m.; in a third 
plant, the internodes followed the sun and made two 
circles in 3hrs. 47m. The average rate of these six 
revolutions was lhr. 46m. The stem shows no 
tendency to twine spirally round a support; but the 
allied tendril-bearing genus Paullinia is said (Mohl, p. 
4) to be a twiner. The flower-peduncles, which stand 
up above the end of the shoot, are carried round and 
round by the revolving movement of the internodes ; 
and when the stem is securely tied, the long and 
thin flower-peduncles themselves are seen to be in 
continued and sometimes rapid movement from side 
to side. They sweep a wide space, but only occasion- 
ally revolve in a regular elliptical course. By the 
combined movements of the internodes and peduncles, 
one of the two short hooked tendrils, sooner or later, 
catches hold of some twig or branch, and then it curls 
round and securely grasps it. These tendrils are, how- 
ever, but slightly sensitive ; for by rubbing their under . 
surface only a slight movement is slowly produced. 
I hooked a tendril on to a twig; and in 1 hr. 45 m. it 
was curved considerably inwards; in 2hrs. 30m. it 
formed a ring; and in from 5 to 6 hours from being 
first hooked, it closely grasped the stick. A second 
tendril acted at nearly the same rate; but I observed 
one that took 24 hours before it curled twice round a 
