Personality of plants

SCIENCE IN THE PLANT WORLD
wood at night is caused by emanations of light
from Fungus growing in the cavities. A sim-
iliar organism called Luminous Peridineas
(sometimes classed as an animal) is responsible
for the phosphorescence of the ocean and the
night lights of many flowers.
About three hundred species of Bacteria and
fifteen species of Fungus are recognized to be
luminous. The dead leaves of the tropical
Banibusa, Nephelium and Aglaia often glow at
night with the light of these tiny creatures. Or-
dinary dead Oak and Beech leaves are lumin-
ous, sometimes shining in spots, but frequently
glowing throughout with a soft, white, steady
light. These miniature incandescent lights
often shine for days, weeks and months, and
with abundant nutriment at hand, sometimes for
years. The light is slight in intensity, but uni-
formly steady and white, green or blue-green
in colour. It is strong enough to enable the
plants on which the Fungus grows to photo-
graph themselves by long exposure to sensitized
plates. The fungus light has also been used to
influence the heliotropic movements of plant
seedlings. In fact, a colony of Fungus has
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