Re: Vines and the Coriolis Effect

From: Endangered Species <especies at ix.netcom.com> on 1996.12.28 at 04:02:05(9) At 08:23 AM 12/27/96 -0600, Don Burns wrote: >Aroiders, >Not on the subject of Aroids but certainly of interest to those who play >with Philodendron and Syngonium, the following interchange is a direct >quote from a bionet group last week: > +More >>> >>>It has been observed that in out area vines grow clockwise up trees. >>>Is this the same in other parts of Australia or do they grow >>>ant-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere? CAn someone from there check >>>and tell us? >> >>This one I qualify to answer. Because of the earth's rotation a >>secondary effect force (secondary only because is small in flight >>computations) called Coryollis effect causes the vortex caused by >>draining a sink or tub to turn "counterclockwise" - looking down on it >>in the northern hemisphere. Vines will do the same around trees. Of >>course as an engineer I use my right hand fist with the thumb up as the >>direction of the twist looking from bottom up. Likewise the effect is >>reversed in the southern hemisphere, or thumb down in my analogy. I was >>born and raised 1/2 degree south of the equator and the vines grew as I >>stated. Also did the water vortex on the sink. Cheers... >End of quote. > >When I first read this I could not believe my eyes. Coriolis is not a new >concept to me, but as applied to the growth of vines? Who is pulling >whose leg here? Do I require enlightenment? Have I finally found a good >subject for my PhD dissertation in botany? > >Don > >PS: Yup, I already went out to the back yard and looked at the vines >climbing the ficus trees - they grow in all directions. > > The trunks of all the Eucalyptus here in s. cal spiral in one direction. However, re: spiraling of water in sinks and toilets, much influence is imparted by contours of basins. I have devoted my life to watiching this, flushing toilets and draining sinks everywhere in pursuit of the truth. Hermine

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