This perennial herbaceous plant in height from 30 to 160 cm comes from tropical regions of South America, where it is considered a weed; while throughout the world it is cultivated as decorative. Blossom mimosa from May to September with small purple inflorescences in the form of marbles, which are located on long peduncles. Pollination occurs with the help of wind or insects, after flowering, hook-shaped curved beans are formed.
A distinctive feature of the mimosa is bashful is the reaction to a potential threat. When the roots are damaged, the plant releases a "cocktail" of poisonous substances, including methanesulfonic, lactic, pyruvic acids and various sulfur compounds; it often leads to the poisoning of livestock in pastures.
Another amazing property, which gave the plant a name, was its ability to fold leaves in response to touch. The mechanism of this action is known to scientists. At the base of the petioles there are water membranes, and the sensory areas on the leaves react to pressure. When touched, water rushes to the point of contact, and under this weight the leaves curl and fall down.
Also, the peculiarity of mimosa is the ability to memorize the characteristics of each contact, and if it does not pose a threat, energy will not be spent on folding the leaves.
Monica Gagliano is doing some amazing research. I spoke to her recently about her latest area of research into plant intelligence and social structures, as this is an area of interest to me. I work specifically with plant music and communication, focusing on interspecies social innovations. While Monica continues to do amazing research taking traditional animal based experiments that show consciousness and adapting them to show how plants are conscious, it is her conclusions in the social structures that fascinates me the most. What is your main area of interest?
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