The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution; . ower knee-shaped portion of the same awn has become straightenedand the spiral twists uncoiled, the fruit is necessarily forced into the ground witha twisting movement, and is also pressed now to this side and now to that by theunequal straightening of the knee-shaped bend. Any backward movement of thefruit from a subsequent drying up of the awn is prevented by the above-namedstiff hairs, in the manner already described. It is much more likely that one ofthe stems to which the awn has attached itself should b
The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution; . ower knee-shaped portion of the same awn has become straightenedand the spiral twists uncoiled, the fruit is necessarily forced into the ground witha twisting movement, and is also pressed now to this side and now to that by theunequal straightening of the knee-shaped bend. Any backward movement of thefruit from a subsequent drying up of the awn is prevented by the above-namedstiff hairs, in the manner already described. It is much more likely that one ofthe stems to which the awn has attached itself should be somewhat bent by thiscontraction of the awn, than that the glume already driven a certain depth intothe ofround and there anchored should be drawn out. COTYLEDONS. 619 The fruits of the Storks-bill (Erodium) get planted in the same way as thoseof the Feather-grass. The five mericarps (or fruit segments) in this plant detachthemselves in a very characteristic manner from their support, as may be seenin fig. 147 ^. First the lower thick end inclosing the seed splits off, and later. Fig. 147.—Showiug the boring of fruits into the , 2 Fruits of the Feather-grass (Stipa pennata). ^, * Fruits of the Storks-biU {Erodium Cicutarium). also the long drawn-out point of the carpel. A part of the latter twists upspirally, and only its free end stretches out in a slight curve, like the hand of awatch. It is well known that this fallen fruit-segment is used as a is placed with its lower thick end which, like the fruit-end of the Feather-grass,possesses a sharp point, on a board covered with paper, in the centre of a are made on the circumference of the circle corresponding to the position 620 COTYLEDONS. of the pointer-like end of the Storks-bill fruit in very damp and in very dryweather respectively, and we can then draw conclusions from the position of thepointer as to the relative dampness of the air. In this application of the fruit wehave an exhibit
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbotany, bookyear1902
