Page:Life Movements in Plants.djvu/140

110 for the purpose of this experiment and therefore removed. The intensity of the induction shock may be varied in the usual manner by removing the secondary coil nearer or farther from the primary. The duration of the shock is always maintained constant. On application of electric stimulus excitation is transmitted along the petiole, the distance of transmission depending on the intensity of stimulus. With feeble stimulus two pairs of leaflets may undergo an excitatory fall; with stronger stimulus the transmission is extended to the end of the petiole, and all the leaflets exhibit movements of closure. We shall now study the modifying influence of a constant current on conduction of excitation. C is an electric cell, R the reversing key by which the electric current could be sent from right to left or in the opposite direction. When the current is sent from right to the left, the excitatory impulse initiated at EE′ travels against the direction of the current in an 'up-hill' direction. When the current is reversed it flows in the petiole from left to right and the transmitted impulse travels with the current or in a 'down-hill' direction.

Two complications are introduced on the completion of the electric circuit of the constant current: the first, is the distributing effect of leakage of the induction current used for excitation, and second, the polar variation of excitation induced by the constant current.

Leakage of induction current.—Before completing the constant current circuit, the alternating induction current goes only through the path EE′. On completion of the constant current circuit, the alternating induction current not only passes through the shorter path EE′ but also by the circuitous path of the constant current circuit. The escaping induction current would thus excite all the leaflets directly and not by its transmitted action. This difficulty is fully overcome by the interposition of a