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Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882

"The Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants"


{30} 'Gardeners' Chronicle,' 1864, p. 721. From the affinity of the
Cucurbitaceae to the Passifloraceae, it might be argued that the
tendrils of the former are modified flower-peduncles, as is certainly
the case with those of Passion flowers. Mr. R. Holland (Hardwicke's
'Science-Gossip,' 1865, p. 105) states that "a cucumber grew, a few
years ago in my own garden, where one of the short prickles upon the
fruit had grown out into a long, curled tendril."
{31} Trans. Phil. Soc. 1812, p. 314.
{32} Dr. M'Nab remarks (Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinburgh, vol xi. p. 292)
that the tendrils of Amp. Veitchii bear small globular discs before
they have came into contact with any object; and I have since
observed the same fact. These discs, however, increase greatly in
size, if they press against and adhere to any surface. The tendrils,
therefore, of one species of Ampelopsis require the stimulus of
contact for the first development of their discs, whilst those of
another species do not need any such stimulus. We have seen an
exactly parallel case with two species of Bignoniaceae.
{33} Fritz Muller remarks (ibid. p. 348) that a related genus,
Serjania, differs from Cardiospermum in bearing only a single
tendril; and that the common peduncle contracts spirally, when, as
frequently happens, the tendril has clasped the plant's own stem.


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