[Picture: Book cover]
THE MOVEMENTS
AND HABITS OF
CLIMBING PLANTS.
BY CHARLES DARWIN, F.R.S.
POPULAR EDITION
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
PREFACE
THIS Essay first appeared in the ninth volume of the 'Journal of the
Linnean Society,' published in 1865. It is here reproduced in a corrected and, I hope, clearer form, with some additional facts. The illustrations were drawn by my son, George Darwin. Fritz Müller, after the publication of my paper, sent to the Linnean Society (Journal, vol.
ix., p. 344) some interesting observations on the climbing plants of
South Brazil, to which I shall frequently refer. Recently two important memoirs, chiefly on the difference in growth between the upper and lower sides of tendrils, and on the mechanism of the movements of twining-plants, by Dr. Hugo de Vries, have appeared in the 'Arbeiten des
Botanischen Instituts in Würzburg,' Heft. iii., 1873. These memoirs ought to be carefully studied by every one interested in the subject, as
I can here give only references to the more important points. This excellent observer, as well as Professor Sachs, {iv} attributes all the movements of tendrils to rapid growth along one side; but, from reasons assigned towards the close of my fourth chapter, I cannot persuade myself that this holds good with respect to those due to a touch. In order that the reader may know what points have interested…