It is indeed
in the highest degree improbable that this should occur, for they are
generally developed on branches which have already securely clasped a
support by the petioles of their leaves; and when borne on a free
depending branch, they are not produced by the terminal portion of
the internode which alone has the power of revolving; so that they
could be brought only by accident into contact with any neighbouring
object. Nevertheless (and this is the remarkable fact) the flower-
peduncles, whilst young, exhibit feeble revolving powers, and are
slightly sensitive to a touch. Having selected some stems which had
firmly clasped a stick by their petioles, and having placed a bell-
glass over them, I traced the movements of the young flower-
peduncles. The tracing generally formed a short and extremely
irregular line, with little loops in its course. A young peduncle
1.5 inch in length was carefully observed during a whole day, and it
made four and a half narrow, vertical, irregular, and short ellipses-
-each at an average rate of about 2 hrs. 25 m. An adjoining peduncle
described during the same time similar, though fewer, ellipses. As
the plant had occupied for some time exactly the same position, these
movements could not be attributed to any change in the action of the
light.
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