Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 18.djvu/523

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DARWIN ON THE MOVEMENTS OF PLANTS.
507

leaflets, as seen in Fig. 9, with its lower surface fully exposed to the zenith.

The nyctitropic movements of ten species of the lotus tribe were observed and found to be alike. The main petiole rises a little at night, and the three leaflets rise till they become vertical, and at the

Fig. 9.—Trifolium repens: A, leaf daring the day; B, leaf asleep at night.

same time approach each other. In most of the species the leaflets rise so much as to press against the stem, and not rarely they become inclined a little inward, with their lower surfaces exposed obliquely to the zenith. The young leaves on the summits of the stems close up at night so much as often to resemble large buds. The stipule-like leaflets,

Fig. 10.—Lotus creticus: A, stem with leaves awake during the day; B, with leaves asleep at night; ss, stipule-like leaflets.

which are often of large size, rise up like the other leaflets, and press against the stem (see Fig. 10). The circumnutation of a terminal leaflet (with the stem secured) was traced during two days, but the move-