The plant world's cleverest tricksters
Giants, stinkers, and survivors of the extremes
Plants that move, groove, and explode
What trigger causes the leaves of the sensitive plant (*Mimosa pudica*) to fold inward rapidly?
How does the walking palm (*Socratea exorrhiza*) theoretically shift its position over time?
schopenhauer Match each bizarre plant reaction to its trigger to discover how these oddities survive.
schopenhauer The tropical Asian telegraph plant, Codariocalyx motorius, has self-moving leaflets.
schopenhauer The telegraph plant constantly rotates its smaller leaves to locate the best angle for catching sunlight.
What physical change inside plant cells drives the rapid movement of the telegraph plant?
schopenhauer Exploding and Dancing Plants
Boom goes the sandbox tree, shooting seeds at a hundred and fifty miles an hour!
schopenhauer The sandbox tree produces explosive fruit that hurls seeds at highway speeds to colonize new ground.
What nickname is given to the sandbox tree (*Hura crepitans*) due to its explosive seed pods?
What is the scientific term for plant movement in response to touch, such as in *Mimosa pudica*?
Sandbox tree poison: The sandbox tree is covered in toxic spikes, and its sap was historically used to poison hunting darts.
schopenhauer The walking palm tree Socratea exorrhiza of Central American rainforests.
At what maximum speed can the seeds of a sandbox tree be launched when the pod explodes?
Why does the telegraph plant (*Codariocalyx motorius*) constantly rotate its smaller leaflets?
A plant behavior that occurs within a short time frame perceivable to the naked eye. This mechanism allows the South American sensitive plant to fold its leaves within seconds of being touched.