The Effect of Some Puget Sound Bog Waters on the Root Hairs of Tradescantia

Abstract

1. Tradescantia grown in bog water shows stunted root hairs. 2. Tradescantia grown in water from open lakes and springs immediately adjacent to bogs shows normal root hairs. 3. Tradescantia grown in water from drained or partly drained bogs shows almost normal root hairs. 4. The stunting of root hairs of Tradescantia by bog water is comparable with the stunting of them by exceedingly dilute solution of sea water, of formalin, of tannic acid, of gelatin, of coffee, and of tea. 5. The stunting effect of bog water on root hairs of Tradescantia disappears when it is diluted with an equal volume of tap water and in some cases when diluted with one-half its volume of tap water. 6. The stunting effect of bog water on root hairs of Tradescantia may be increased by boiling the water down to a fraction of its original volume. 7. Many typical bog plants have no root hairs. 8. There seems to be a toxin or toxins in bog water whose effect disappears with drainage of the bog. 9. Possibly this toxin inhibits mesophytes from bogs by reducing the amount of absorptive surface exposed by the root system.