The Power of Movement in Plants Part 22

The nyct.i.tropic movements of leaves and cotyledons are effected in two ways,* firstly, by means of pulvini which become, as Pfeffer has shown, alternately more turgescent on opposite sides; and secondly, by increased growth along one side of the petiole or midrib, and then on the opposite side, as was first proved by Batalin.** But as it has been shown by De Vries*** that in these latter cases increased growth is preceded by the increased turgescence of the cells, the difference between the above two means of movement is much diminished, and consists chiefly in the turgescence of the cells of a fully developed pulvinus, not being followed by growth. When the movements of leaves or cotyledons, furnished with a pulvinus and dest.i.tute of one, are compared, they are seen to be closely similar, and are apparently effected for the same purpose. Therefore, with our object in view, it does not appear advisable to separate the above two sets of cases into two distinct cla.s.ses. There is, however, one important distinction between them, namely, that movements effected by growth on the alternate sides, are confined to young growing leaves, whilst those effected by means of a pulvinus last for a long time. We have already seen well-marked instances of this latter fact with cotyledons, and so it is with leaves, as has been observed by Pfeffer and by ourselves. The long endurance of the nyct.i.tropic movements when effected by the aid of pulvini indicates, in addition to the evidence already advanced, the functional import-

* This distinction was first pointed out (according to Pfeffer, 'Die Periodischen Bewegungen der Blattorgane,' 1875, p. 161) by Da.s.sen in 1837.

** 'Flora,' 1873, p. 433.

*** 'Bot. Zeitung,' 1879, Dec. 19th, p. 830.

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ance of such movements to the plant. There is another difference between the two sets of cases, namely, that there is never, or very rarely, any torsion of the leaves, excepting when a pulvinus is present;* but this statement applies only to periodic and nyct.i.tropic movements as may be inferred from other cases given by Frank.**

The fact that the leaves of many plants place themselves at night in widely different positions from what they hold during the day, but with the one point in common, that their upper surfaces avoid facing the zenith, often with the additional fact that they come into close contact with opposite leaves or leaflets, clearly indicates, as it seems to us, that the object gained is the protection of the upper surfaces from being chilled at night by radiation. There is nothing improbable in the upper surface needing protection more than the lower, as the two differ in function and structure. All gardeners know that plants suffer from radiation. It is this and not cold winds which the peasants of Southern Europe fear for their olives.*** Seedlings are often protected from radiation by a very thin covering of straw; and fruit-trees on walls by a few fir-branches, or even by a fis.h.i.+ng-net, suspended over them. There is a variety of the gooseberry,**** the flowers of which from being produced before the leaves, are not protected by them from radiation, and consequently often fail to yield fruit. An excellent observer***** has remarked

* Pfeffer, 'Die Period. Beweg. der Blattorgane.' 1875, p. 159.

** 'Die Nat. Wagerechte Richtung von Pflanzentheilen,' 1870, p. 52

*** Martins in 'Bull. Soc. Bot. de France,' tom. xix. 1872. Wells, in his famous 'Essay on Dew,' remarks that an exposed thermometer rises as soon as even a fleecy cloud, high in the sky, pa.s.ses over the zenith.

**** 'Loudon's Gardener's Mag.,' vol. iv. 1828, p. 112.

***** Mr. Rivers in 'Gardener's Chron.,' 1866, p. 732.

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that one variety of the cherry has the petals of its flowers much curled backwards, and after a severe frost all the stigmas were killed; whilst at the same time, in another variety with incurved petals, the stigmas were not in the least injured.

This view that the sleep of leaves saves them from being chilled at night by radiation, would no doubt have occurred to Linnaeus, had the principle of radiation been then discovered; for he suggests in many parts of his 'Somnus Plantarum' that the position of the leaves at night protects the young stems and buds, and often the young inflorescence, against cold winds. We are far from doubting that an additional advantage may be thus gained; and we have observed with several plants, for instance, Desmodium gyrans, that whilst the blade of the leaf sinks vertically down at night, the petiole rises, so that the blade has to move through a greater angle in order to a.s.sume its vertical position than would otherwise have been necessary; but with the result that all the leaves on the same plant are crowded together as if for mutual protection.

We doubted at first whether radiation would affect in any important manner objects so thin as are many cotyledons and leaves, and more especially affect differently their upper and lower surfaces; for although the temperature of their upper surfaces would undoubtedly fall when freely exposed to a clear sky, yet we thought that they would so quickly acquire by conduction the temperature of the surrounding air, that it could hardly make any sensible difference to them, whether they stood horizontally and radiated into the open sky, or vertically and radiated chiefly in a lateral direction towards neighbouring plants and other objects. We endeavoured, therefore, to ascertain something on this head by preventing the leaves [page 286]

of several plants from going to sleep, and by exposing to a clear sky when the temperature was beneath the freezing-point, these, as well as the other leaves on the same plants which had already a.s.sumed their nocturnal vertical position. Our experiments show that leaves thus compelled to remain horizontal at night, suffered much more injury from frost than those which were allowed to a.s.sume their normal vertical position. It may, however, be said that conclusions drawn from such observations are not applicable to sleeping plants, the inhabitants of countries where frosts do not occur. But in every country, and at all seasons, leaves must be exposed to nocturnal chills through radiation, which might be in some degree injurious to them, and which they would escape by a.s.suming a vertical position.

In our experiments, leaves were prevented from a.s.suming their nyct.i.tropic position, generally by being fastened with the finest entomological pins (which did not sensibly injure them) to thin sheets of cork supported on sticks. But in some instances they were fastened down by narrow strips of card, and in others by their petioles being pa.s.sed through slits in the cork. The leaves were at first fastened close to the cork, for as this is a bad conductor, and as the leaves were not exposed for long periods, we thought that the cork, which had been kept in the house, would very slightly warm them; so that if they were injured by the frost in a greater degree than the free vertical leaves, the evidence would be so much the stronger that the horizontal position was injurious. But we found that when there was any slight difference in the result, which could be detected only occasionally, the leaves which had been fastened closely down suffered rather more than those fastened with very long and [page 287]

thin pins, so as to stand from to 3/4 inch above the cork. This difference in the result, which is in itself curious as showing what a very slight difference in the conditions influences the amount of injury inflicted, may be attributed, as we believe, to the surrounding warmer air not circulating freely beneath the closely pinned leaves and thus slightly warming them. This conclusion is supported by some a.n.a.logous facts hereafter to be given.

We will now describe in detail the experiments which were tried. These were troublesome from our not being able to predict how much cold the leaves of the several species could endure. Many plants had every leaf killed, both those which were secured in a horizontal position and those which were allowed to sleep--that is, to rise up or sink down vertically. Others again had not a single leaf in the least injured, and these had to be re-exposed either for a longer time or to a lower temperature.

[Oxalis acetosella.--A very large pot, thickly covered with between 300 and 400 leaves, had been kept all winter in the greenhouse. Seven leaves were pinned horizontally open, and were exposed on March 16th for 2 h. to a clear sky, the temperature on the surrounding gra.s.s being -4o C. (24o to 25o F.). Next morning all seven leaves were found quite killed, so were many of the free ones which had previously gone to sleep, and about 100 of them, either dead or browned and injured were picked off. Some leaves showed that they had been slightly injured by not expanding during the whole of the next day, though they afterwards recovered. As all the leaves which were pinned open were killed, and only about a third or fourth of the others were either killed or injured, we had some little evidence that those which were prevented from a.s.suming their vertically dependent position suffered most.

The following night (17th) was clear and almost equally cold (-3o to -4o C.

on the gra.s.s), and the pot was again exposed, but this time for only 30 m.

Eight leaves had been pinned out, [page 288]

and in the morning two of them were dead, whilst not a single other leaf on the many plants was even injured.

On the 23rd the pot was exposed for 1 h. 30 m., the temperature on the gra.s.s being only -2o C., and not one leaf was injured: the pinned open leaves, however, all stood from to 3/4 of an inch above the cork.

On the 24th the pot was again placed on the ground and exposed to a clear sky for between 35 m. and 40 m. By a mistake the thermometer was left on an adjoining sun-dial 3 feet high, instead of being placed on the gra.s.s; it recorded 25o to 26o F. (-3.3o to -3.8o C.), but when looked at after 1 h.

had fallen to 22o F. (-5.5o C.); so that the pot was perhaps exposed to rather a lower temperature than on the two first occasions. Eight leaves had been pinned out, some close to the cork and some above it, and on the following morning five of them (i.e. 63 per cent.) were found killed. By counting a portion of the leaves we estimated that about 250 had been allowed to go to sleep, and of these about 20 were killed (i.e. only 8 per cent.), and about 30 injured.

Considering these cases, there can be no doubt that the leaves of this Oxalis, when allowed to a.s.sume their normal vertically dependent position at night, suffer much less from frost than those (23 in number) which had their upper surfaces exposed to the zenith.

Oxalis carnosa.--A plant of this Chilian species was exposed for 30 m. to a clear sky, the thermometer on the gra.s.s standing at -2o C., with some of its leaves pinned open, and not one leaf on the whole bushy plant was in the least injured. On the 16th of March another plant was similarly exposed for 30 m., when the temperature on the gra.s.s was only a little lower, viz., -3o to -4o C. Six of the leaves had been pinned open, and next morning five of them were found much browned. The plant was a large one, and none of the free leaves, which were asleep and depended vertically, were browned, excepting four very young ones. But three other leaves, though not browned, were in a rather flaccid condition, and retained their nocturnal position during the whole of the following day. In this case it was obvious that the leaves which were exposed horizontally to the zenith suffered most. This same pot was afterwards exposed for 35 - 40 m. on a slightly colder night, and every leaf, both the pinned open and the free ones, was killed. It may be added that two pots of O. corniculata (var. Atro- [page 289]

purpurea) were exposed for 2 h. and 3 h. to a clear sky with the temp. on gra.s.s -2o C., and none of the leaves, whether free or pinned open, were at all injured.

Arachis hypogoea.--Some plants in a pot were exposed at night for 30 m. to a clear sky, the temperature on the surrounding gra.s.s being -2o C., and on two nights afterwards they were again exposed to the same temperature, but this time during 1 h. 30 m. On neither occasion was a single leaf, whether pinned open or free, injured; and this surprised us much, considering its native tropical African home. Two plants were next exposed (March 16th) for 30 m. to a clear sky, the temperature of the surrounding gra.s.s being now lower, viz., between -3o and -4o C., and all four pinned-open leaves were killed and blackened. These two plants bore 22 other and free leaves (excluding some very young bud-like ones) and only two of these were killed and three somewhat injured; that is, 23 per cent. were either killed or injured, whereas all four pinned-open leaves were utterly killed.

On another night two pots with several plants were exposed for between 35 m. and 40 m. to a clear sky, and perhaps to a rather lower temperature, for a thermometer on a dial, 3 feet high, close by stood at -3.3o to -3.8o C.

In one pot three leaves were pinned open, and all were badly injured; of the 44 free leaves, 26 were injured, that is, 59 per cent. In the other pot 3 leaves were pinned open and all were killed; four other leaves were prevented from sleeping by narrow strips of stiff paper gummed across them, and all were killed; of 24 free leaves, 10 were killed, 2 much injured, and 12 unhurt; that is, 50 per cent. of the free leaves were either killed or much injured. Taking the two pots together, we may say that rather more than half of the free leaves, which were asleep, were either killed or injured, whilst all the ten horizontally extended leaves, which had been prevented from going to sleep, were either killed or much injured.

Ca.s.sia floribunda.--A bush was exposed at night for 40 m. to a clear sky, the temperature on the surrounding gra.s.s being -2o C., and not a leaf was injured.* It was again exposed on

* Ca.s.sia laevigata was exposed to a clear sky for 35 m., and C. calliantha (a Guiana species) for 60 m., the temperature on the surrounding gra.s.s being -2o C., and neither was in the least injured. But when C. laevigata was exposed for 1 h., the temp. on the surrounding gra.s.s being between -3o and -4o C., every leaf was killed.

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another night for 1 h., when the temperature of the gra.s.s was -4o C.; and now all the leaves on a large bush, whether pinned flat open or free, were killed, blackened, and shrivelled, with the exception of those on one small branch, low down, which was very slightly protected by the leaves on the branches above. Another tall bush, with four of its large compound leaves pinned out horizontally, was afterwards exposed (temp. of surrounding gra.s.s exactly the same, viz., -4o C.), but only for 30 m. On the following morning every single leaflet on these four leaves was dead, with both their upper and lower surfaces completely blackened. Of the many free leaves on the bush, only seven were blackened, and of these only a single one (which was a younger and more tender leaf than any of the pinned ones) had both surfaces of the leaflets blackened. The contrast in this latter respect was well shown by a free leaf, which stood between two pinned-open ones; for these latter had the lower surfaces of their leaflets as black as ink, whilst the intermediate free leaf, though badly injured, still retained a plain tinge of green on the lower surface of the leaflets. This bush exhibited in a striking manner the evil effects of the leaves not being allowed to a.s.sume at night their normal dependent position; for had they all been prevented from doing so, a.s.suredly every single leaf on the bush would have been utterly killed by this exposure of only 30 m. The leaves whilst sinking downwards in the evening twist round, so that the upper surface is turned inwards, and is thus better protected than the outwardly turned lower surface. Nevertheless, it was always the upper surface which was more blackened than the lower, whenever any difference could be perceived between them; but whether this was due to the cells near the upper surface being more tender, or merely to their containing more chlorophyll, we do not know.

Melilotus officinalis.--A large pot with many plants, which had been kept during the winter in the greenhouse, was exposed during 5 h. at night to a slight frost and clear sky. Four leaves had been pinned out, and these died after a few days; but so did many of the free leaves. Therefore nothing certain could be inferred from this trial, though it indicated that the horizontally extended leaves suffered most. Another large pot with many plants was next exposed for 1 h., the temperature on the surrounding gra.s.s being lower, viz., -3o to -4o C. Ten leaves had been pinned out, and the result was striking, for on the following morning all these were found much injured or [page 291]

killed, and none of the many free leaves on the several plants were at all injured, with the doubtful exception of two or three very young ones.

Melilotus Italica.--Six leaves were pinned out horizontally, three with their upper and three with their lower surfaces turned to the zenith. The plants were exposed for 5 h. to a clear sky, the temperature on ground being about -1o C. Next morning the six pinned-open leaves seemed more injured even than the younger and more tender free ones on the same branches. The exposure, however, had been too long, for after an interval of some days many of the free leaves seemed in almost as bad a condition as the pinned-out ones. It was not possible to decide whether the leaves with their upper or those with their lower surfaces turned to the zenith had suffered most.

Melilotus suaveolens.--Some plants with 8 leaves pinned out were exposed to a clear sky during 2 h., the temperature on the surrounding gra.s.s being -2o C. Next morning 6 out of these 8 leaves were in a flaccid condition. There were about 150 free leaves on the plant, and none of these were injured, except 2 or 3 very young ones. But after two days, the plants having been brought back into the greenhouse, the 6 pinned-out leaves all recovered.

Melilotus Taurica.--Several plants were exposed for 5 h. during two nights to a clear sky and slight frost, accompanied by some wind; and 5 leaves which had been pinned out suffered more than those both above and below on the same branches which had gone to sleep. Another pot, which had likewise been kept in the greenhouse, was exposed for 35 - 40 m. to a clear sky, the temperature of the surrounding gra.s.s being between -3o and -4o C. Nine leaves had been pinned out, and all of these were killed. On the same plants there were 210 free leaves, which had been allowed to go to sleep, and of these about 80 were killed, i.e. only 38 per cent.

Melilotus Pet.i.tpierreana.--The plants were exposed to a clear sky for 35 - 40 m.: temperature on surrounding gra.s.s -3o to -4o C. Six leaves had been pinned out so as to stand about inch above the cork, and four had been pinned close to it. These 10 leaves were all killed, but the closely pinned ones suffered most, as 4 of the 6 which stood above the cork still retained small patches of a green colour. A considerable number, but not nearly all, of the free leaves, were killed or much injured, whereas all the pinned out ones were killed.

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Melilotus macrorrhiza.--The plants were exposed in the same manner as in the last case. Six leaves had been pinned out horizontally, and five of them were killed, that is, 83 percent. We estimated that there were 200 free leaves on the plants, and of these about 50 were killed and 20 badly injured, so that about 35 per cent of the free leaves were killed or injured.

Lotus aristata.--Six plants were exposed for nearly 5 h. to a clear sky; temperature on surrounding gra.s.s -1.5o C. Four leaves had been pinned out horizontally, and 2 of these suffered more than those above or below on the same branches, which had been allowed to go to sleep. It is rather a remarkable fact that some plants of Lotus Jacoboeus, an inhabitant of so hot a country as the Cape Verde Islands, were exposed one night to a clear sky, with the temperature of the surrounding gra.s.s -2o C., and on a second night for 30 m. with the temperature of the gra.s.s between -3o and -4o C., and not a single leaf, either the pinned-out or free ones, was in the least injured.

Marsilea quadrifoliata.--A large plant of this species--the only Cryptogamic plant known to sleep--with some leaves pinned open, was exposed for 1 h. 35 m. to a clear sky, the temperature on the surrounding ground being -2o C., and not a single leaf was injured. After an interval of some days the plant was again exposed for 1 h. to a clear sky, with the temperature on the surrounding ground lower, viz., -4o C. Six leaves had been pinned out horizontally, and all of them were utterly killed. The plant had emitted long trailing stems, and these had been wrapped round with a blanket, so as to protect them from the frozen ground and from radiation; but a very large number of leaves were left freely exposed, which had gone to sleep, and of these only 12 were killed. After another interval, the plant, with 9 leaves pinned out, was again exposed for 1 h., the temperature on the ground being again -4o C. Six of the leaves were killed, and one which did not at first appear injured afterwards became streaked with brown. The trailing branches, which rested on the frozen ground, had one-half or three-quarters of their leaves killed, but of the many other leaves on the plant, which alone could be fairly compared with the pinned-out ones, none appeared at first sight to have been killed, but on careful search 12 were found in this state. After another interval, the plant with 9 leaves pinned out, was exposed for 35 - 40 m. to a clear sky and to nearly the same, or perhaps a rather lower, temperature (for the thermometer by an accident had been left on a [page 293]

sun-dial close by), and 8 of these leaves were killed. Of the free leaves (those on the trailing branches not being considered), a good many were killed, but their number, compared with the uninjured ones, was small.

Finally, taking the three trials together, 24 leaves, extended horizontally, were exposed to the zenith and to un.o.bstructed radiation, and of these 20 were killed and 1 injured; whilst a relatively very small proportion of the leaves, which had been allowed to go to sleep with their leaflets vertically dependent, were killed or injured.

The cotyledons of several plants were prepared for trial, but the weather was mild and we succeeded only in a single instance in having seedlings of the proper age on nights which were clear and cold. The cotyledons of 6 seedlings of Mimosa pudica were fastened open on cork and were thus exposed for 1 h. 45 m. to a clear sky, with the temperature on the surrounding ground at 29o F.; of these, 3 were killed. Two other seedlings, after their cotyledons had risen up and had closed together, were bent over and fastened so that they stood horizontally, with the lower surface of one cotyledon fully exposed to the zenith, and both were killed. Therefore of the 8 seedlings thus tried 5, or more than half, were killed. Seven other seedlings with their cotyledons in their normal nocturnal position, viz., vertical and closed, were exposed at the same time, and of these only 2 were killed.* Hence it appears, as far as these few trials tell anything, that the vertical position at night of the cotyledons of Mimosa pudica protects them to a certain degree from the evil effects of radiation and cold.]

Concluding Remarks on the Radiation from Leaves at Night.--We exposed on two occasions during the summer to a clear sky several pinned-open leaflets of Trifolium pratense, which naturally rise at night, and of Oxalis purpurea, which naturally sink at night (the plants growing out of doors), and looked at

* We were surprised that young seedlings of so tropical a plant as Mimosa pudica were able to resist, as well as they did, exposure for 1 hr. 45 m.

to a clear sky, the temperature on the surrounding ground being 29o F. It may be added that seedlings of the Indian 'Ca.s.sia p.u.b.escens' were exposed for 1 h. 30 m. to a clear sky, with the temp. on the surrounding ground at -2o C., and they were not in the least injured.

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them early on several successive mornings, after they had a.s.sumed their diurnal positions. The difference in the amount of dew on the pinned-open leaflets and on those which had gone to sleep was generally conspicuous; the latter being sometimes absolutely dry, whilst the leaflets which had been horizontal were coated with large beads of dew. This shows how much cooler the leaflets fully exposed to the zenith must have become, than those which stood almost vertically, either upwards or downwards, during the night.

From the several cases above given, there can be no doubt that the position of the leaves at night affects their temperature through radiation to such a degree, that when exposed to a clear sky during a frost, it is a question of life and death. We may therefore admit as highly probable, seeing that their nocturnal position is so well adapted to lessen radiation, that the object gained by their often complicated sleep movements, is to lessen the degree to which they are chilled at night. It should be kept in mind that it is especially the upper surface which is thus protected, as it is never directed towards the zenith, and is often brought into close contact with the upper surface of an opposite leaf or leaflet.

We failed to obtain sufficient evidence, whether the better protection of the upper surface has been gained from its being more easily injured than the lower surface, or from its injury being a greater evil to the plant.

That there is some difference in const.i.tution between the two surfaces is shown by the following cases. Ca.s.sia floribunda was exposed to a clear sky on a sharp frosty night, and several leaflets which had a.s.sumed their nocturnal dependent position with their lower surfaces turned outwards so as to be [page 295]

exposed obliquely to the zenith, nevertheless had these lower surfaces less blackened than the upper surfaces which were turned inwards and were in close contact with those of the opposite leaflets. Again, a pot full of plants of Trifolium resupinatum, which had been kept in a warm room for three days, was turned out of doors (Sept. 21st) on a clear and almost frosty night. Next morning ten of the terminal leaflets were examined as opaque objects under the microscope. These leaflets, in going to sleep, either turn vertically upwards, or more commonly bend a little over the lateral leaflets, so that their lower surfaces are more exposed to the zenith than their upper surfaces. Nevertheless, six of these ten leaflets were distinctly yellower on the upper than on the lower and more exposed surface. In the remaining four, the result was not so plain, but certainly whatever difference there was leaned to the side of the upper surface having suffered most.