File:Plants and their ways in South Africa (1915) (14773494321).jpg

Identifier: plantstheirway00ston (find matches)
Title: Plants and their ways in South Africa
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: Stoneman, Bertha, 1866-
Subjects: Plants
Publisher: London, Longmans, Green
Contributing Library: The LuEsther T Mertz Library, the New York Botanical Garden
Digitizing Sponsor: The LuEsther T Mertz Library, the New York Botanical Garden

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phere, winter is thesleeping-time of plants. When the leaves are cut off in the fall of the year, they lie in sodden heaps beneath the treesduring the autumn rains and winter snows. In the springthese leaves hold moisture and give it up slowly to the roots.In this country very little decaying vegetation is left on theground. The ants could partly explain the reason if you askedthem. Have you ever watched them before a rain busily saw-ing off twigs and carrying them underground? Even burntmatches are regarded valuable timber by them. The antschange the conditions for plants both above and below thesoil surface.^ ^ It has been found that upon this material, some ants and termites(so called white ants), cultivate vegetable gardens of fungi. These gar-dens they tend so carefully that only one kind of a crop is grown in a nest. 103 I04 Plants and their Ways in South Africa Plants that work in winter must be suitably clothed fortheir v;ork. Even when no rain falls, the Silver Trees on Table
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Mountain are frequently enfolded by the fringes of the Tablecloth . We have seen that a great amount of water passes offin the form of vapour. Vapour cannot pass off if the leavesare water soaked and the exchange of gases, O and CO2 is Plant Defences 105 also hindered. Place a silver leaf in water and notice how thesilvery sheen is brightened. The thick coat of hairs retains alayer of air which the rain cannot replace. It is because ofthis that vapour can pass off without interruption. A bambooleaf under water glistens on the lower surface quite as brilliantly,but the upper surface comes out wet. The stomata which aremost numerous on the under surface are sunken, and protectedby projecting rods of wax. On the upper surface wax is want-ing but the few stomata are protected in another manner.

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