THE BIOELECTRIC POTENTIALS OF PLANTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE: IV. CHANGES IN THE RATE OF WATER ABSORPTION IN EXCISED STEMS OF ACER SACCHARUM INDUCED BY APPLIED ELECTROMOTIVE FORCES: THE "FLUSHING EFFECT"

Abstract

Experiments on excised stems of maple (Acer saccharum Marsh) in the winter and growing states have shown that artificial flow through open channels can alter the existing biopotential and thus produce local streaming potentials. On the other hand, artificially applied voltages could produce two effects: a small and temporary disturbance in flow which appeared to be electroosmotic in nature and direction: a sudden large surge of flow into the stem after prolonged electrical stimulation of up to 45,000 mv. The latter effect was called "flushing" and only occurred in young green stems which had previously been well exposed to sunlight. Artificial guttation was found to be associated with flushing.