New comb e, Sensitive Life of Asparagus plumosus. 41 
including needles take tlie same horizontal, diageotropic position; 
3) twining shoots frorn the rhizomes which grow erect for 40 to 
60 cm, and then begin to twine, rising front one to several meters, 
finally bending the apical 10 to 15 cm over into the horizontal 
Position, at the same time nnfolding buds along the spiral stem 
and along the terminal horizotal portion, the branches of all Orders 
taking the horizontal, diageotropic position. 
2. The horizotal or oblique position taken by the yarious 
parts of the aerial shoot is due to a reversal of response to gra- 
vitation, the shoots being at first negatiyely geotropic. 
3. Seedling shoots are able when grown in complete darkness 
to take the plagiogeotropic position as well as those grown in 
light; but aerial shoots from rhizomes require the presence of light 
to enable them to attain and retain the horizontal position. 
4. Tho all kinds of shoots are positiyely lieliotropic, the di- 
rection of light has nothing to do with the development of dia- 
geotropism, except that it may determine the plane of the dia¬ 
geotropic curve, by first cansing a heliotropic curve, and thus 
giving gravitation a footing for the development of diageotropism. 
There is no evidence of geonasty or photonasty. 
5. The influence of light on the development of diageotropism 
can be marked for at least 8 days after the plant has been placed 
in the dark. 
6. Growing shoots, revolved abont the horizontal axis of the 
klinostat, develop to maturity with no indication of diageotropism. 
The shoot develops its branching System with the same arrange- 
ment of parts as in an ordinary orthotropic plant, qnite unlike the 
habit of this Asparagus. 
7. When the aerial shoot becomes diageotropic and horizontal, 
it is still in morphology and physiology radial. 
8. The elongation of the aerial shoot is brot to an end by 
the action of light. In the dark, growth seems capable of con- 
tinuance as long as food lasts. 
9. Only in seedling shoots do the lateral buds nnfold in the 
dark. 
10. The spinous nodal scales of the main axis of the aerial 
shoot are helpful in climbing, and develop about as well in darkness 
as in light. 
11. The unfolding of lateral buds- on the normal shoot seems 
to be phasogenic, as they do not unfold tili the end of the growth 
of the main axis is near. This relation may indicate why the buds 
unfold on seedling shoots in the dark, growth being here brot to 
an end by lack of food, but do not nnfold on shoots from rhizomes, 
these latter shoots while in the dark being supplied for a year or 
more with food from rhizome and roots. 
12. The reversal of response to gravitation is also phasogenic, 
since it appears at the same time as the unfolding of lateral buds, 
being therefore related to the cessation of growth of the main axis. 
13. The unfolding of lateral buds cannot be conditionned by 
the inception of diageotropism; for the branches develop on the 
