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Hooke, Robert, 1635-1703

"Micrographia Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon"


One of these Plants, whose branch seem'd to be older and more grown
then the other, onely the tender Sprouts of it, after the leaves are
shut, fall and hang down; of the other, the whole branches fall to the
ground, if the Sun shine very warm, upon the first taking off the
Glass, which I therefore call the _humble Plant_.
The other two, which do never fall, nor do any of their branches flagg
and hang down, shut not their leaves, but upon somewhat a hard stroke;
the stalks seem to grow up from a root, and appear more _herbaceous_,
they are round and smooth, without any prickle, the Sprouts from them
have several pairs of sprigs, with much less leaves then the other on
them, and have on each sprig generally seventeen pair.
Upon touching any of the sprigs with leaves on, all the leaves on that
sprig contracting themselves by pairs, joyned their upper superficies
close together.
Upon the dropping a drop of _Aqua fortis_ on the sprig betwixt the
leaves, ff all the leaves above shut presently, those below by pairs
successively after, and by the lower leaves of the other branches, ll,
kk, &c. and so every pair successively, with some little distance of
time betwixt, to the top of each sprig, and so they continu'd shut all
the time we were there. But I returning the next day, and several days
since, found all the leaves dilated again on two of the sprigs; but
from ff, where the _Aqua fortis_ had dropped upwards, dead and
withered; but those below on the same sprig, green, and closing upon
the touch, and are so to this day, _August_ 14.


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