Nutations in shoots and in Desmodium lateral leaflets, nyctinastism and seismonastism in Mimosa pudica. Comparison and evolution of morphology and mechanism

摘要

Four plant movements are considered: circumnutation of apeces of Phaseolus, nutations (ultradian movement) of lateral leaflets of Desmodium gyrans, nyctinastim and Mimosa pudica seismonastic movement. The rhythms mechanisms are briefly summarized except for seismonastism: in this case, experimental evidence progressively accumulated, at first indirect and recently direct is described, leading eventually to conclusions about the existence and function of contractile proteins. Indeed, in spite of the nowadays clear evidence, the mechanism has not yet gained total recognition among plant physiologists and it is usually overseen or ignored in a reductionist approach. From these four exemplative cases, an interesting evolutionary organization change is apparent in movement, morphogenesis, chemistry and mechanism. [References: 73]