CAN PLANTS SEE

Marlborough Express, Volume XXX, Issue 3, 4 January 1894, Page 4

CAN PLANTS SEE

' Dabwin, m his book on "Movement m , PlaDt3," is of opinion that many plants may j be said to have sight, and the investigations of other famous botanists have confirmed his opinion. An Indian botanist relates the following romarkabh incident : ' 1 was sit- : ting ia the verandah with one foot against a largo pillar, near to which gr »wa a large kind of convolvulus. Its tendrils were leaning over tho verandah, aod to my surprise ! I noticed that they were visibly turning to- ''' wards my leg I remained m that position, ' and m less than an hour tho tendriis had ■ laid themselves over my leg. This waa m •_'' the early morning, and when at breakfast I told my wife of this discovery, we determined to make further experiments. When we went out into the verandah, the tendrils / had tnmed their heads back to the railing "' m dipgust. We got a pole nnd leaned it atjainst the pillar quite twelve inohes from the nearest spay of convolvulus. In ten • minutes they began to curve themselves m that oiieotioD, and aoted exactly as you f might fancy a very slow ennko would act if he Wanted to reach anything. Tho upper >- tendrils bent down, and the side ones curved themselves till they touched the pole, and . m a few hours were twisted right; round it. It was on the side away from the light, aud excepting the faculty of sight, I can imagine • uo other means by which the tendiilscould be . . aware that tb> pole had been pieced there. ;■-: They had to turn away from the lipht to 1 •■nieetjt, and they set themselves visibly to- ,: wards it within a few miuutes of the pole being placed there.'