The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-04-19
ATHLETIC FEATs Of PLANTS.
Ono Species of Watercress Turns Com
Dlete SOmersauits.

| Ono Species of Watercress Turns Com
I3lete Soinersauits.
| One species Of wat2rcrcS5 possesses
the power of locomotion. changing its
| Mace on a river bank by leaps and
! bounds. says the Golden Penny. From
| the stems of the creSs grow rootllke
/! fibres which, when of sufficient
| length. drop to the bottom OF the
water and there take root. The plant
gradually settles upon its new footing
such that the old ones lose their hold
and the tuft of cress performs SOM
ersaut. In time the old roots die away,
fresh ones are developed and the cresi
| dances merrily on its way.
| There is species of bearded oat
| which will separate itself from the
| glum or husk. This is no new dis
covery. Linnaeus, the great Swedish
! botanist, ia the course of a journey
Of scientific, exploration in Dalecar-
! liza, a province of his native country,
records the interesting fact that he
| found tn. Dalecarlians taking full adj
| vantage of this valuable quality in
Tho crop was left to its own devices
in the barns until such time as the
husks eMptied themselves. The spir-
al beard Is contracted or extended in
the atmosphere, and when the beard
contracts it drags the oat along with
it: when it expands the oat does not
! go back to its original position, the
coughness of the beard the contrary
way preventing it.
Another species of bearded oat, the
Avena Sterils, has earned for itself
the name of Animal Oat.' from the
eccentric fashion in which it craWls
backward and forward when ripe, and
when falling from the husk propelling
itself by the twisting and untWIsting
of the beard. 4 seed of this oat IS
sometimes used instead of an artificial
fly for trout fishing.
A still more startling effect is pro
seed of the Centaurea Crupina, a plant
of the cornflower species. found wild
in Italy. If one of these seeds be
placed between the foot and the stoch-
ing. it will in a short time travel
over the body and creep out at the
sleeve or neckband The name Cupina
is derived from a Dutch word signify
ing to creep.
Many plants have the power of mo-
ton, though not of lOcomotion. The
Sensitive Plant, which goes to sleep
at a touch, is we'll known. A plant
of a similar genus, the Hedysarum
Gyrans, is found on the shores of the
Ganges. It is a biennial shrubby
plant, bearing long spikes of parti-
colored flowers, and its leaves, which
grow in pairs. have a peculiar spon-
taneous motion. Both will move to-
gether from a pendant to an erect
position, or the reverse, with cOnsid-
cradle rapidity, or one will move by
starts while the other is stationary.
This movement does not take place
in all the leaves of one plant or one
branch at one time. It is apparently
devoid of uniformity, regularity, or
sympathy. It is likewise independent
of all external stimulation except that
1t requires a warm, close atmosphere.
Young plants exhibit these movements
best, and they seem to prefer shade
to light-it is seen to perfection in =
close room by candle light.
Another species Of the same genus
the Desmodium Gyrans, has acquired
the significant name of the Telegraph
Plant, because tn. .ma" lateral leaf
lets Of its trioliate leaves in a warm.
moist atmosphere Jerk up and down,
sometimes as many as $50 times to the
minute, suggesting the signalling ap-
paratus of Geographic instrument.
These leaflets also rotate on tnoI
axes, another charming accomplish
ment which it Is interesting to watch.