The term ‘nictinastia’ refers to a phenomenon that occurs in some plants and flowers, where their petals or leaves open and close in synchrony with the day cycle. Many flowers display their petals at dawn and close them at sunset, as if they had an internal clock that regulates their movements, regardless of the direct light of the sun.
This curious behavior caught the attention of the Swedish botanist Carl Linneo In the 18th century, who, inspired by this capacity, designed a ‘Floral watch’ organizing a garden in which species opened and closed to specific hours of the day. In this way, it was possible to know the time simply by observing which flowers were active at a given time.
The secret of nictinasty lies in the circadian rhythms of plantsa biological stopwatch that allows them to respond to the cycles of light and dark, and that this mechanism not only synchronizes their movements with the day, but also optimizes their ability to attract pollinators at the times when these insects are more active.
Enjoy other curiosities such as this with Alfred López’s book collection
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