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Genuflecting plant discovered in Brazil
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A newly discovered Brazilian plant bends down after its fruits are formed and plants its own seeds in the ground.
The phenomenon, called geocarpy, allows Spigelia genuflex to ensure its seeds end up as close to the mother plant as possible, facilitating its propagation the following season. Peanuts are another example of geocarpy—a rare adaptation to growing in harsh or ephemeral environments.
“It is very easy to think we have found and described most plant species of the world already, but this discovery shows that there are so much left out there without name and recognition,” says Lena Struwe, professor of plant biology and pathology at Rutgers.
Full story at Futurity.
Photo credit: Alex Popovkin
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