Subject: Re: Twining plants

From: [email-masked] (Peter Rice)
Date: 23 May 1995 12:37:52 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] writes:
>   [email-masked] (Caterine Wheatcroft) wrote:
>   >Why do the shoots of pole beans grow counter-clockwise and not
>   >clockwise? Any information would be welcome.
>
>   The most of twining plants grow clockwise indeed,like Morning Glory(Ipomea) and
>   Convolvulus, but some grow counterclockwise, like Honeysuckle (Lonicera).
>   Read also: Darwin C. and F. The power of movement in plants. Appleton and
>   Co. 1981.

Better yet, get "At the Drop of a Hat" by Flanders and Swann and pay close
attention to the song "Misalliance" (seems they use another convention
on clockwise too :-)   :

The honeysuckle slowly spirals clockwise to the sun
And many other creepers do the same
But some climb anticlockwise, the binweed does for one
Or Convulvulus to give its proper name.

Rooted on either side a door, one of each species grew
And raced towards the window ledge above
Each corkscrewed to the lintel in the only way it knew
Where they stopped, touched tendrils, smiled, and fell in love

   ........

A bee who was passing remarked to them then
I've said it before and I'll say it again
Consider your offshoots (If offshoots there be)
They'll never receive any blessing from me.

Poor little sucker, how will it learn
When it is climbing, which way to turn?
Left? Right? What a disgrace
For it may go straight up And fall flat on its face.

    .........
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Rice                           | Informatics Division
E-mail: [email-masked]             | The Sanger Centre
Tel: (44) 1223 494967                | Hinxton Hall, Hinxton,
Fax: (44) 1223 494919                | Cambs, CB10 1RQ
URL: http://www.sanger.ac.uk/~pmr/   | England

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 23 May 1995 10:12:55 +0100

The most of twining plants grow clockwise indeed,like Morning Glory(Ipomea) and
Convolvulus, but some grow counterclockwise, like Honeysuckle (Lonicera).
Be aware, however of the fact that clockwise or anticlockwise is just a
convention, Linnaeus for instance considered clockwise what the physicists
consider counterclockwise (clockwise is the commom screw).
As concerns plants the side of the earth where they grow shouldn't have
any effect on the handedness, as has no effect on snails.
But read: The handedness of the universe. Sci.American 1, 108-15 (1990).
I have however another question: what could be the exact relation between
right and left hand spiralling in plants (twining plants, circumnutation)
and right and left handedeness in mammals (like men) and other animals? If
the definition of right and left spirals is a convention no relationship
should exist, but in fact it seems to exist and the enormous prevalence of
right hand spirals in nature (DNA, proteins) should be connected with
handedness in animals.
I hope this discussion will proceed. The study of twining plants and plants
movements is exciting!
Read also: Darwin C. and F. The power of movement in plants. Appleton and
Co. 1981.

[email-masked]