[NatureNS] Re: Coriolis effect & Spiraling Growth of Plants

Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:58:23 -0400
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: Blake Maybank <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca>
References: <45B56AE4.8000904@glinx.com>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


--=======AVGMAIL-45BA332F4AFC=======
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=====================_21024312==.ALT"; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-5FCC2DB9

--=====================_21024312==.ALT
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-5FCC2DB9

At 10:11 AM 26/01/2007, Chris wrote:
>This spiraling growth form of plants is called chirality.

Not to diminish any of Chris's thorough explanation, I would also 
like to add another interpretation, from a song by Michael Flanders 
(melody by Donald Swan), called "Misalliance".


Misalliance

The fragrant Honeysuckle spirals clockwise to the sun
And many other creepers do the same.
But some climb anti-clockwise; the Bindweed does, for one,
Or Convolvulus, to give her proper name.

Rooted on either side a door one of each species grew
And raced towards the window-ledge above;
Each corkscrewed to the lintel in the only way it knew,
Where they stopped, touched tendrils, smiled, and fell in love.

Said the right-handed Honeysuckle
To the left-handed Bindweed:
'Oh, let us get married
If our parents don't mind; we'd
Be loving and inseparable,
Inextricably entwined;
we'd Live happily ever after,'
Said the Honeysuckle to the Bindweed.

To the Honeysuckle's parents it came as a shock.
'The Bindweeds', they cried, 'are inferior stock,
They're uncultivated, of breeding bereft;
We twine to the right and they twine to the left!'

Said the anti-clockwise Bindweed
To the clockwise Honeysuckle:
'We'd better start saving,
Many a mickle maks a muckle,
Then run away for a honeymoon
And hope that our luck'll
Take a turn for the better,'
Said the Bindweed to the Honeysuckle.

A Bee who was passing remarked to them then:
Tve said it before, and I'll say it again;
Consider your off-shoots, if off-shoots there be,
They'll never receive any blessing from me!

'Poor little sucker, how will it learn
When it is climbing, which way to turn?
Right-left-what a disgrace!
Or it may go straight up and fall flat on its face!'
Said the right-hand thread Honeysuckle
To the left-hand thread Bindweed:
'It seems that against us
All fate has combined ...
Oh my darling, oh my darling
Oh my darling Columbine,
Thou art lost and gone for ever,
We shall never intertwine.'

Together they found them the very next day.
They had pulled up their roots and just shrivelled away,
Deprived of that freedom for which we must fight-
To veer to the left or to veer to the right!


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blake Maybank
Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"

author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"
http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm

144 Bayview Drive
White's Lake, Nova Scotia,
B3T 1Z1, Canada

maybank@ns.sympatico.ca
(902) 852-2077  
--=====================_21024312==.ALT
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-5FCC2DB9

<html>
<body>
At 10:11 AM 26/01/2007, Chris wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">This spiraling growth form of
plants is called chirality. </blockquote><br>
Not to diminish any of Chris's thorough explanation, I would also like to
add another interpretation, from a song by Michael Flanders (melody by
Donald Swan), called &quot;Misalliance&quot;.<br><br>
<h2><font size=4><b>Misalliance</b></font></h2>The fragrant Honeysuckle
spirals clockwise to the sun <br>
And many other creepers do the same. <br>
But some climb anti-clockwise; the Bindweed does, for one, <br>
Or <i>Convolvulus</i>, to give her proper name.<br><br>
Rooted on either side a door one of each species grew <br>
And raced towards the window-ledge above; <br>
Each corkscrewed to the lintel in the only way it knew, <br>
Where they stopped, touched tendrils, smiled, and fell in love.<br><br>
Said the right-handed Honeysuckle <br>
To the left-handed Bindweed: <br>
'Oh, let us get married <br>
If our parents don't mind; we'd <br>
Be loving and inseparable, <br>
Inextricably entwined; <br>
we'd Live happily ever after,' <br>
Said the Honeysuckle to the Bindweed.<br><br>
To the Honeysuckle's parents it came as a shock. <br>
'The Bindweeds', they cried, 'are inferior stock, <br>
They're uncultivated, of breeding bereft; <br>
We twine to the right and they twine to the left!'<br><br>
Said the anti-clockwise Bindweed <br>
To the clockwise Honeysuckle: <br>
'We'd better start saving, <br>
Many a mickle maks a muckle, <br>
Then run away for a honeymoon <br>
And hope that our luck'll <br>
Take a turn for the better,' <br>
Said the Bindweed to the Honeysuckle.<br><br>
A Bee who was passing remarked to them then: <br>
Tve said it before, and I'll say it again; <br>
Consider your off-shoots, if off-shoots there be, <br>
They'll never receive any blessing from me!<br><br>
'Poor little sucker, how will it learn <br>
When it is climbing, which way to turn? <br>
Right-left-what a disgrace! <br>
Or it may go straight up and fall flat on its face!'<br>
Said the right-hand thread Honeysuckle <br>
To the left-hand thread Bindweed: <br>
'It seems that against us <br>
All fate has combined ... <br>
Oh my darling, oh my darling <br>
Oh my darling Columbine, <br>
Thou art lost and gone for ever, <br>
We shall never intertwine.'<br><br>
Together they found them the very next day. <br>
They had pulled up their roots and just shrivelled away, <br>
Deprived of that freedom for which we must fight-<br>
To veer to the left or to veer to the right!<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
Blake Maybank<br>
Editor, &quot;Nova Scotia Birds&quot;<br><br>
author, &quot;Birding Sites of Nova Scotia&quot;<br>
<a href="http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm" eudora="autourl">
http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm<br><br>
</a>144 Bayview Drive<br>
White's Lake, Nova Scotia, <br>
B3T 1Z1, Canada<br><br>
maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<br>
(902) 852-2077 </body>
</html>

--=====================_21024312==.ALT--
--=======AVGMAIL-45BA332F4AFC=======
Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg=cert; charset=us-ascii; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-5FCC2DB9
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Disposition: inline
Content-Description: "AVG certification"



No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.12/653 - Release Date: 26/01/2007
=


--=======AVGMAIL-45BA332F4AFC=======--

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects archive
Index of Subje