Observational and Experimental Studies of Sensitive Plants: VI. The migration of potassium in the primary pulvinus

Abstract

The available information concerning the effect of the anesthetics, and migration of potassium in the primary pulvinus of Mimosa pudica may be summarized as follows.1) Ether and urethane may be of no efficacy on the salts distribution of the living cells. And it may be deduced that these narcotics give no remarkable visible effect upon the protoplast of the motor cells.2) 0.2M concentration of ethyl urethane causes the reversible anesthetic effects in the motor organ.3) The plants were anesthetized in ether vapour or by absorbing the urethane solution through the stem. In both materials there are no differences in the sponogram.4) When the ash image of two conditions, before and after receiving stimuli, are examind, the migration of salts from the motor tissue-cells to the phloem is clearly observed.5) Parallel to the microincineration, the micro chemical technique for potassium were undertaken. The materials before receiving stimuli are subjected to Macallum's modified solution. By this technique crystals of potassium salts are found in the motor cells. After receiving stimuli, large crystals appear in the large intercellular spaces. From this data it can be supposed that the potassium solution in the motor cells permeates into intercellular spaces at the bending movement. This phenomenon suggests that the permeability of the cytoplasm against potassium increased at the bending movement and its recovery.6) On the transitional zone, between the pulvinus and the stem and between the pulvinus and the petiole, the large parenchymatous cells and intercellular spaces are arranged lengthwise. In this transitional tissue, potassium solution passes through at the bending movement.7) The migration of potassium solution may be summarized as follows; Motor cellus→intercellular spaces→transitional tissues.