The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution; . Fig 156 —Kotangs m Java (Trom a drawing by Selleny) 676 CLIMBING PLANTS. trailing, it has come within the range of a wood, it pushes its stiff, folded, spire-likeleaves between the lower branches of the trees, and as these leaves unfold and bendoutwards, they form strong supports or barbs by which the cord-like stem isanchored above in the branches of the tree (c/. fig. 94, p. 363). Under favourableconditions the stem can grow up to the tops of the trees, its new leaves alwaysanchoring thus in the branches ab
The natural history of plants, their forms, growth, reproduction, and distribution; . Fig 156 —Kotangs m Java (Trom a drawing by Selleny) 676 CLIMBING PLANTS. trailing, it has come within the range of a wood, it pushes its stiff, folded, spire-likeleaves between the lower branches of the trees, and as these leaves unfold and bendoutwards, they form strong supports or barbs by which the cord-like stem isanchored above in the branches of the tree (c/. fig. 94, p. 363). Under favourableconditions the stem can grow up to the tops of the trees, its new leaves alwaysanchoring thus in the branches above. Frequently the free end of a rotang shoot. Fig. 157.—Shoot-apices of three species of DcBmonorops hygrophilus. 2 Calamus extensus; with inflorescence, s Desmoiicus polyacanthus; much reduced. grows from tree to tree—now ascending, now descending. It is shoots of this kindwhich attain to lengths unequalled by any other plant. There are credible state-ments according to which such rotang stems, with an almost uniform thickness ofonly 2-4 cm., have reached a length of 200 metres. We must not omit to mention that most, if not all, plants which weave into thethicket of other plants are equipped with barbed spines, prickles, and bristles, whichassist them in maintaining themselves at the heights once reached. The goatsthorn is provided with horizontally-projecting spines; in the roses and brambles CLIMBING PLANTS. 677 both the internodes and the ribs of the leaves are beset with sharp, backwardly-direeted prickles; several bedstraws ( Galium uliginosum and aparine) bearshort, stiff, reversed bristles on the ridges o
Size: 1602px × 1560px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbotany, bookyear1902
