Question

The closing and opening of the leaves of Mimosa pudica is due to

• A. seismonastic movement
• B. chemonastic movement
• C. thermonastic movement
• D. hydrotropic movement.

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

seismonastic movement

Answer 2

Nastic movements occur in response to a stimulus. It is independent of its direction. They are shown by bifacial organs (leaves, sepals, petals) and are in response to diffused external stimulus. Fig.: Seismonastic movement Seismonastic movements are due to shock or touch stimulus. Such movements are shown by Mimosa pudica. The leaf of Mimosa is compound having four pinna and each pinna is having many pinnules. If a terminal pinnule is touched, the whole leaf droops down. This is due to fact that at the bases of pinnules, pinna and whole leaf, swollen structure called pulvinus is present and drooping is due to loss of turgidity of lower portion of pulvinus.