Accession Data

Codariocalyx motorius

Common Name: Telegraph Plant

Family: Fabaceae

Country of Origin: tropical Asia

Description: [Syn: Desmodium gyrans]

This plant has small, lateral leaflets which move at speeds rapid enough to be perceivable with the naked eye. This is possibly a strategy to maximise light by tracking the sun. Each leaf is equipped with a hinge that permits it to be moved to receive more sunlight, but the weight of these leaves means the plant must expend a lot of energy in moving it. To optimise its movement, each large leaf has two small leaflets at its base. These move constantly along an elliptical path, sampling the intensity of sunlight, and directing the large leaf to the area of most intensity. Another hypothesis has been offered that the rapid movements are intended to deter potential predators.4

Timelapse video on YouTube

Accession Data

USDA Zone: 10b-11

Accession #: 199800023

Accession Date: 1998-03-30 00:00:00

Bloom Status: 🪴 Not Flowering

Location: 1201

Quantity: 3

Source: Tim Devine - CSU Chico

Provenance:

Tim Devine, CSU Chico. Lost main plants summer 2007, restart from seed previously collected

Classification

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass: eurosid I

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae

SubFamily: Faboideae

Tribe: Desmodieae

SubTribe: Desmodiinae

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008

References

  1. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Thursday, September 08, 2016.
  2. Codariocalyx motorius at ARS-GRIN. Last accessed on Thursday, September 08, 2016.
  3. Codariocalyx motorius at Wikipedia. Last accessed on Monday, October 02, 2017.

Images

Codariocalyx motorius
Codariocalyx motorius