Page:Researches on Irritability of Plants.djvu/12

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CONTENTS
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depressing, and toxic agents—Phenomenon of accommodation—Stimulating action of ozone—Effects of carbonic-acid gas, vapour of alcohol, ether, carbon disulphide, coal gas, chloroform, ammonia, sulphuretted hydrogen, laughing-gas, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide
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85

CHAPTER VIII

DEATH-SPASM IN PLANTS

Criterion of the death of plant—Abolition of electric response at death—Mechanical spasm of death—Water-bath for uniform rise of temperature—Excitatory effect of sudden cooling or heating—Erection of leaf with rising, and depression of leaf with falling, temperature—Thermo-mechanical inversion at the death-point—Necessity for specification of rate of rise of temperature—Death-record of Mimosa—Abolition of response after death-spasm—Constancy of death-point exhibited by different specimens—Death-records of Desmodium gyrans and Vicia Fava—Death-spasm in ordinary plants—The electric-spasm of death—Lowering of death-point by fatigue and by poisonous solution
•          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •          •
98

CHAPTER IX

DETERMINATION OF THE LATENT PERIOD

Difficulties of accurate determination of Latent Period—Advantages of Resonant Recorder—Simultaneous tracings of tuning-fork exciter and Resonant Recorder—Automatic stimulation at a definite moment—Identical value of latent period in successive determinations—Accurate measurement of time-interval shorter than .005 second—Latent period little affected by inertia of recorder—Tabular statement of value of different specimens of Mimosa—Effect of season on latent period
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108

CHAPTER X

INFLUENCE OF INTENSITY OF STIMULUS, FATIGUE, AND TEMPERATURE ON THE LATENT PERIOD

Diffuse stimulation under alternating-shock—Effect of intensity of stimulus on Latent Period—Influence of optimum condition—Effect of fatigue—Effect of temperature
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