From: hermine <hermine at endangeredspecies.com> on 1999.04.05 at 20:38:48(3236)
>
>I am having an argument on another list. Can anyone help me? I have never
>heard of any plant anywhere that has roots that could be considered
>phototropic. Is this a correct assumption??
YOU TOO? i think never is a very long time, and i too have grown many
epiphytic plants, plants in baskets, and so-called normal plants, if
Sansevierias can be called normal. stoloniferous roots will grow UP out of
the soil, and will re-emerge even if you repot the plant with the roots
buried. the underground roots of bamboo will make croquet wickets. maybe
they are underground stems and not roots as such. when i had epiphytes, i
enjoyed the roots greatly and looked at them long and hard, and i cannot
say they grew away from the light. orchid roots grew in same direction as
the green stuff. ALSO, why would the Machine Who Built The Universe make
roots capable of developing chlorophyll and doing the photosynthetic dance?
This is an oversimplification, but I do not believe roots are ONLY
geotropic, and i bet i could induce roots to grow towards the light if that
is where the water was.
And what about aquatic plants? and why would coralloid roots have a
symbiotic relationship with algae if they were not light-adapted roots?
years ago the cactus and succulent growers did not like white pots as they
allowed too much light into the soil and this did SOMETHING to the roots,
but I cannot remember what it was. However, when i had those plants, i used
white pots, because I had them around, as well as black pots, and I
observed NO DIFFERENCE in the growth.
And then there is growing potatoes and yams in water.
so i do not think the secret of roots is fully grokked.
with unspeakable humble humility, i remain,
hermine
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