Consequently I will describe tendril-bearing plants by natural
families, following Lindley's classification; and this will in most
cases keep those of the same nature together. The species to be
described belong to ten families, and will be given in the following
order: --Bignoniaceae, Polemoniaceae, Leguminosae, Compositae,
Smilaceae, Fumariaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Vitaceae, Sapindaceae,
Passifloraceae. {25}
BIGNONIACEAE.--This family contains many tendril-bearers, some
twiners, and some root-climbers. The tendrils always consist of
modified leaves. Nine species of Bignonia, selected by hazard, are
here described, in order to show what diversity of structure and
action there may be within the same genus, and to show what
remarkable powers some tendrils possess. The species, taken
together, afford connecting links between twiners, leaf-climbers,
tendril-bearers, and root-climbers.
Bignonia (an unnamed species from Kew, closely allied to B. unguis,
but with smaller and rather broader leaves).--A young shoot from a
cut-down plant made three revolutions against the sun, at an average
rate of 2 hrs. 6m. The stem is thin and flexible; it twined round a
slender vertical stick, ascending from left to right, as perfectly
and as regularly as any true twining-plant.
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