180 FREAKS OF PLANT LIFE. 



As heliotropism, or turning towards the sun, is so 

 common a phenomenon, it may be anticipated that 

 negative heliotropism, or turning from the sun, is rare. 

 This latter is so distinctly the case, that Mr. Darwin 

 could only record two instances which had come 

 under his personal observation. The first of these 

 was in the case of an exotic trumpet-flower {Bignonia 

 capreolatd). It was the tendrils of this climbing 

 plant which exhibited a dislike of the light. This 

 plant was placed in a north-east window, protected 

 on all other sides from the light. It had a pair of 

 tendrils which stood almost vertically upwards. In 

 fifty minutes both tendrils had felt the full influence 

 of the light, for they moved straight away from it for 

 nearly three hours, when they rotated a little and 

 then continued to move away. By a late hour in the 

 evening they had moved so far that they were turned 

 in a direct line from the light. During the night 

 they returned a little in the opposite direction, but, 

 on the following morning, they again moved away 

 from the light, interlocking with each other, but still 

 pointing from the light. 



The other instance was that of the cyclamen, and 

 the record is so circumstantial and interesting that 

 we are tempted to give it entire. " Whilst this plant 

 is in flower the peduncles stand upright, but their 

 uppermost part is hooked, so that the flower hangs 

 downwards. As soon as the pods begin to swell the 



