Other Definitions
telegraph plant (dict)
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Telegraph PlantDesmodium gyrans
Telegraph Plant (also known as semaphore plant, Codariocalyx motorius, Desmodium motorium, Desmodium gyrans, and Hippie grass) is tropical Asian shrub, known for its ability to move in response to morning sunlight and sounds. This plant is one of a few plants capible of rapid movement, including Mimosa and the Venus Flytrap. (See Rapid plant movement) This plant's movment consists of the small lateral leaflets rotating on their axes and jerking up and down. Charles Darwin, in 1880 published his last work before his death, "The Power of Movement in Plants". This work describes this plant in detail. Native habitat is widely distributed throughout Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia, Martinique, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It can even be found on the Society Islands, a chain of islands dotted remotely in the South Pacific. This plant produces small purple flowers. The leaves of this plant are sometimes used to make tea. Studies performed in the 1960s (source?) suggest that the leaves and roots of Desmodium gyrans contain psychedelic compounds, like N,N-dimethyltryptamine.
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