THE MOVEMENTS
AND HABITS OF
CLIMBING PLANTS.

ByCHARLES DARWIN, F.R.S.

POPULAR EDITION

LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1906.

PREFACE

This Essay first appeared in theninth volume of the ‘Journal of the Linnean Society,’published in 1865. It is here reproduced in a correctedand, I hope, clearer form, with some additional facts. Theillustrations were drawn by my son, George Darwin. FritzMüller, after the publication of my paper, sent to theLinnean Society (Journal, vol. ix., p. 344) some interestingobservations on the climbing plants of South Brazil, to which Ishall frequently refer. Recently two important memoirs,chiefly on the difference in growth between the upper and lowersides of tendrils, and on the mechanism of the movements oftwining-plants, by Dr. Hugo de Vries, have appeared in the‘Arbeiten des Botanischen Instituts inWürzburg,’ Heft. iii., 1873. These memoirs oughtto be carefully studied by every one interested in the subject,as I can here give only references to the more importantpoints. This excellent observer, as well as ProfessorSachs, [iv] attributes all the movements oftendrils to rapid growth along one side; but, from reasonsassigned towards the close of my fourth chapter, I cannotpersuade myself that this holds good with respect to those due toa touch. In order that the reader may know what points haveinterested me most, I may call his attention to certaintendril-bearing plants; for instance, Bignonia capreolata,Cobæa, Echinocystis, and Hanburya, which display asbeautiful adaptations as can be found in any part of the kingdomof nature. It is, also, an interesting fact thatintermediate states between organs fitted for widely differentfunctions, may be observed on the same individual plant ofCorydalis claviculata and the common vine; and these casesillustrate in a striking manner the principle of the gradualevolution of species.

APPENDIX TO PREFACE (1882).

Since the publication of thisEdition two papers by eminent botanists have appeared;Schwendener, ‘Das Winden der Pflanzen’(Monatsberichte der Berliner Akademie, Dec. 1881), and J. Sachs,‘Notiz über Schlingpflanzen’ (Arbeiten desbotanischen Instituts in Würzburg, Bd. ii. p. 719,1882). The view “that the capacity of revolving, onwhich most climbers depend, is inherent, though undeveloped, inalmost every plant in the vegetable kingdom”(‘Climbing Plants,’ p. 205), has been confirmed bythe observations on circumnutation since given in ‘ThePower of Movement in Plants.’

ERRATA.

On pp. 28, 32, 40, 53, statements are made with reference tothe supposed acceleration of the revolving movement towards thelight. It appears from the observations given in ‘ThePower of Movement in Plants,’ p. 451, that theseconclusions were drawn from insufficient observations, and areerroneous.