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Show 122 PUL VINI OF COTYLEDONS. CIIAl'. II. the day. With older seedlings, having cotyledons 4 mm. in length, which rise considerably at night, there is a well-developed pulvinus close to the bla_de, colourless~ an~ :·ather narrower than the rest of tho petwle, from whiCh It IS abruptly separated. It is formed of a mass of small cells of an average length of ·021 mm.; whereas the cells in tho lower part of the petiole are about ·06 rom., and those in the blade from ·034 to ·04 rom. in length. Tho epidermic cells in the lower part of the petiole project conically, and thus differ in shape from those over tho pulvinus. Turnillg now to very young seedlings, the cotyledons of which do not rise at night and arc only from 2 to 2~ mm. in length, their petioles do not exhibit any defined zone of small cells, destitute of chlorophyll and differing in sha.pe exteriorly from the lower ones. Nevertheless, the cells at the place where 11 pulvinus will afterwards be developed are smaller (being on an a.verage ·015 rom. in length) than those in the lower parts of the same petiole, which gradually become larger in proceeding downwards, the largest being ·030 mm. in length. At this early age the cells of the bladE' are about ·027 mm. in length. We thus see that the pulvinus is formed by the cells in the uppermost part of the petiole, continuing for only a short time to increase in length, then being arrested in their growth, accompanied by the loss of their chlorophyll grains; whilst the cells in the lower pa.rt of the petiole continue for a long time to increase in length, those of the epidermis becoming more conical. The singular fact of the cotyledons of this pln.nt not sleeping at first is therefore due to the pulvinus not being developed at an ea.rly age. vV e learn from these two cases of Lotus and Oxalis, that the development of a pulvinus follows from the growth of the cells over a small defined space of the petiole being almost arrested at an early age. With Lotus Jacobmus the cells at first increase a little in length ; in Orealis corniculata they decrease a little, owing to self-division. A. mass of such small cells forming a pulvinus, might therefore be either acquired or lost without any special difficulty, by different ~pecies in the same natural genus : and we know that CHAP. II. DISTURBED PERIODIC MOVEMENTS. 123 with seedlings of Trifolium, Lotus, and Oxalis some of the species have a well-developed pulvinus, and others have none, or one in a rudimentary condition. A.s the movements caused by the alternate turgescence of the cells in the two halves of a pulvinus, must be largely determined by the extensibility and subse~ quent contraction of their walls, we can perhaps understand why a large number of small cells will be more efficient than a small number of large cells occupying the same space. A.s a pulvinus is formed by the arrestment of the growth of its cells, movements dependent on their action may be long-continued without any increase in length of the part thus provided ; and such long-continued movements seem to be one chief end gained by the development of a pulvinus. Long-continued mov:oment would be impossible in any part, without an inordinate increase in its length, if the turgescence of the cells was always followed by growth. Disturbance of the Periodic Movements of Cotyledons by Light.-The hypocotyls and cotyledons of most seedling plants are, as is well known, extremely heliotropic; but cotyledons, besides being heliotropic, are affected ~)aratonically (to usc Sachs' expression) by light; that Is, their daily periodic movements are greatly and ~uickly disturbed by changes in its intensity or by ~ts absence. It is not that they cease to circumnutate m darkness, for in all the many cases observed by us they continued to do so; but the normal order of their movements in relation to the alternations of day and night is much disturbed or quite annulled. This hold.s good with species the cotyledons of which rise or smk so much at night that they may be said to sleep, ~swell as with others which rise only a little. But different species are affected in very different degrees by changes in tho light. |