Field and Woodland Plants

by William S. Furneaux

Perhaps the most interesting of all climbing plants are those which twine their stems around the props afforded by the neighbouring growths. As before stated, the stems of these plants are erect when very young; but after they have reached a certain height the top of the stem bends to one side, and then, as the growth proceeds, it turns slowly round and round, describing a circle in the horizontal plane, thus seeking some support round which it can twine.

The rate at which the top of the stem revolves varies in different plants, and also in the same plant according to the temperature and other conditions affecting the growth. In some species the upper portion describes a complete circle in less than two hours during warm weather, while in others a single revolution may occupy one or two days.

It will be seen, from the nature of these movements, that the revolving stem is far more likely to come in contact with erect, rather than with horizontal supports, and observations made on twining stems will show that they seldom fix themselves round supports which are placed horizontally or only on a slight incline. In fact, some of these stems seem quite unable to twist themselves spirally except round an axis that is either erect or forms a very large angle with the horizontal plane.

Should the twining stem succeed in reaching a favourable prop, it immediately commences to bend itself round and round, forming a more or less compact spiral; and it is probable that the slight pressure, caused by the contact, acts as a stimulus which incites the peculiar mode of growth.

The direction which the spiral takes is not always the same. In the Hop, Honeysuckle, and the Climbing Buckwheat or Black Bindweed, the direction is always the same as that of the hands of a clock; while in the Bindweeds the spiral is invariably contra-clockwise. Further, it is not possible to compel any species to turn in a direction opposite to that which it naturally follows. Its stem may be forcibly twined in the wrong direction any number of times, but the free end will always follow its natural course as soon as it is left undisturbed.

Stem of the Bindweed, Twining to the Left.

Should the stem of a young twining plant fail to reach a suitable support, it bends over, not being sufficiently rigid to support itself, and at last the apex reaches the ground. Then, starting afresh from this second position of rest, it begins to ascend, and its upper end again commences to revolve as before. The chances are that it will, from this second position, find something round which it can twine; but failing this its summit may again and again bend to the ground, thus renewing its attempts from various positions more or less distant from one another, and in each effort so made the revolving upper end of the stem gradually lengthens, and describes a larger and larger circle in search for a favourable prop.

A twining stem sometimes has the advantage of additional support afforded by the stiff nature of the base of the stem, which is often rendered still more rigid by a twist or torsion resembling that of the strands of a rope. Such advantage is often still further increased by the presence of longitudinal ridges of the stem, frequently bearing rows of hooked prickles or hairs that hold on to any object touched. Again, the base of the stem, even though it reaches nothing round which it can twine, sometimes takes the form of a spiral, thus forming a good foundation for the upper portion as it seeks out a convenient prop. Yet another contrivance to secure the same end may be observed in the Greater Bindweed and some other plants. The stems, failing to secure a favourable hold, twine round one another, thus producing a kind of rigid cable for the support of the upper extremities as they revolve in order to find stems round which to form their spirals.

Should all the methods and contrivances of the twining plant fail it in its attempts to secure an uppermost place among the surrounding herbage or shrubs, it is compelled to trail along the ground. But such a position is most disadvantageous and unnatural to it, and usually results in a stunted and sickly plant that may produce no flowers.