Chap. H. OIECUMNUTATION OF SEEDLINGS. til 



CHAPTER 11. 



Geweral Considerations on the Movejients akd Growth or 

 Seedling Plants. 



Generality of the circumnutafiiig movemeDt — Badicles, their ciroum- 

 nutation of service — ^Manner in which they penetrate the ground — ■ 

 Manner in which hypocotj-ls and other organs break through the 

 ground by being arched — Singular manner of germination in Megar- 

 rhiza, &c. — Abortion of cotyledons— Circumnutation of hypocotyls 

 and epicotyls whilst still buried and arched — Their power of 

 straightening themselves — Bursting of the seed-coats — Inherited 

 effect of the arching process in hypogean hypocotyls— Circumnuta- 

 tion of hypocotyls and epicotyls when erect — Ciicumnutation of 

 cotyledons — Pulvini or joints of cotyledons, duration of their 

 activity, rudimentaiy in Oxalis corniculata, their development — 

 Sensitiveness of cutyledons to light and consequent disturbance of 

 their periodic movements — Sensitiveness of cotyledons to contact. 



The circumniitating movements of the several pajts 

 or organs of a considerable number of seedling plants 

 have been described in the last chapter. A list is here 

 appended of the Families, Cohorts, Sub-classes, &c.. 

 to which they belong, arranged and numbered ac- 

 cording to the classification adopted by Hooker.* 

 Any one who will consider this list will see that the 

 young plants selected for observation, fairly represent 

 the whole vegetable seiries excepting the lowest 

 cryptogams, and the movements of some of the latter 

 when mature will hereafter be described. As all the 

 seedlings which were observed, including Conifers,. 

 Cycads and Ferns, which belong to the most ancient 



• As g'ven in the ' General System of Botany,' by Le Maout and 

 Pecaisne, 1873. 



