Plants respond to a variety of stimuli, whether owing to natural forces or planned sensitivity.
They modify their size or shrink in response to these sensations, which has piqued people’s interest. In the scientific literature, this response is commonly referred to as this morphogenesis.
Touch-Me-Not plants are the most well-known and popular plants that react visibly.
They’re also known as sensitive plants, while they’re scientifically known as Mimosa Pudica.
Another aggressive example of a plant that responds to any contact is the Venus Fly-trap.
Is there anything else in the floral kingdom that looks like this? What exactly are they, and how do they react when touched?
This page will teach you about these plants.
1. Mimosa Pudica
Plants in the pea family (Fabaceae) are known as humble plants/sensitive plants (Mimosa pudica).
They close their leaves and droop when touched.
South and Central American native, the plant is a common nuisance in tropical places and has migrated to other warm locations.
It is widely grown in greenhouses for the sake of curiosity.
To the extent that it is a shrub, the plant is around 30 centimeters tall (1 foot).
Pink or mauve puffs of globular pink or mauve flowers are found on the plant.
Water from specialized cells at the base of the leaflet and leaf stalks causes the plant’s extraordinarily swift sensitivity to touch.
In order to protect themselves against herbivores who may be surprised by the movement of the leaves, the leaves reopen in a matter of minutes.
Leaves open and close in reaction to light and dark cycles are known as nyctinastic movements, which are also activated by physical inputs.
2. Drosera rotundifolia
Roundleaf sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), sometimes known as the common sundew, is a carnivorous species of flowering plant that grows in swamps, fens, and bogs.
As one of the most common sundews. Carnivorous behavior is triggered by touch.
Its modified leaves can be covered by more than 100 tentacles.
Entities are drawn to the tentacles by their flashy appearance and become entangled in the sticky substance when they land there.
Tentacles with high sensitivity to touch detect the insect’s existence and any subsequent motions.
When the prey’s existence is detected, nearby tentacles bend toward those that are immediately stimulated by it.
It is possible for the entangled tentacles to form a cup-like depression, trapping the prey inside.
Incredibly, the tentacles’ mechano-sensitivity is amazing, allowing them to detect even the tiniest strands of human hair.
Here is an article I wrote on plants that smell nice at night
3. Bryonia Dioica
The English mandrake, sometimes known as the red or white bryony, is a delicate member of the cucumber family.
The seeds, on the other hand, are incredibly beneficial, despite the fact that the plant itself is toxic.
As a sensitive plant, the Bryonia also responds noticeably to physical or mechanical stimuli.
The lack of jasmonic acid in the plants causes the vines to curl and coil.
4. Mimosa Pigra
If you’ve heard of Mimosa pudica before, you’ll recognize Mimosa Pigra.
It’s a mimosa tree, and it reacts to change in the same way that the pudica does. When it’s time to go to bed, they curl up into a ball and sleep soundly.
Also, their appearances change greatly, with larger pods, longer stalks and larger leaves. They have more leaflets/pinnae on their leaves than the pudica.
Their seeds and blossoms are covered in sharp spines.
Their thickets of distribution are big, invasive plants.
Known as the “catclaw mimosa,” the Mimosa pigra bears lilac or pinkish-white flowers in the spring.
5. Venus Flytrap
The Venus Flytrap is the most renowned carnivorous plant in the world, according to legend.
Its big mouth is wide open to a variety of prey, including insects, small birds, and snakes.
The broad edges and bi-lobed leaves are often misunderstood by prey for being harmless. The Venus Flytrap would close in less than a second if prey landed on those.
The Venus Flytrap is an unusual plant in that it responds to stimuli in a unique way. More than three of the hairs must be triggered when the prey moves into touch with the leaves.
Within seconds of this, the trap is shut. It would have taken longer for the plant to catch had it not been for this.
6. Bladderwort
Bladderwort of the genus Utricularia is a carnivorous plant that appears to be haloed snow from a distance, but it actually includes sacs to catch its food.
these bladderwort plants have no roots at all and are typically found near bodies of water.
Their distinctive appearance is the result of their horizontal, floating stem and divided leaves.
Bladderworts make use of the fact that their sacs are submerged. In the traps, this low-pressure space is created by the bladders.
Having water around the bladder allows the plant to suck the prey in promptly when it senses danger.
7. Monstera
The “Swiss Cheese Plant” or “Monstera vine” is a flowering plant in the Araceae family.
This is because of the leaf’s peculiar appearance; the leaves are perforated and appear to have been punched.
The monstrosity of the monstera is aptly referred to in its name. They are enormous plants that can be grown both outdoors and indoors.
In nature, these plants show a gradual shift to the shadows, which often results in skototropism.
Darkness has a strange pull on Monstera plants. They grow in, looking for a tree’s shade. There is a dramatic shift in their development once they touch the tree.
The better photosynthetic process is often caused by an increase in light.
8. Arabidopsis
The roots of most plants tend to grow upward and above or beneath the soil in order to obtain water and nutrients.
This is typical, and it allows the gravitropism element to be used. Arabidopsis, on the other hand, is more likely to reject this.
Thigmotropism occurs because its gravitropism is weakened.
Auxin, a plant hormone, directs the growth of the majority of plants.
The hormone is found in Arabidopsis as well, but the plant’s response to it is very different from that of other plants.
Instead of expanding in the direction of gravity, they grow outward.
They tend to grow against gravity at the molecular level, which is everywhere under the ground.
Additionally, these plants have a tendency to glow in the dark because they are phototropic.
Conclusion
This concludes our listing of touch-sensitive plants.
This sensitivity is a clever strategy employed by plants to avoid danger and acquire food. Have a preferred touch-sensitive plant? Please submit a comment.
