Mimosa púdica

[jjoropeza]

What is porpuse of the folding of the leaves, does this provides some advantaje to the plant?

[James]

They fold up upon touch- to prevent being eaten, and in the presence of fire- to limit the damage.

[jjoropeza]

Appreciated your respons, but how can this folding prevent from being eaten at all,
or minimize damage from fire. Could you elaborat your coment

[James]

Well, droopy leaves are a lot less attractive to herbivores than big lush leaves on other plants. The plant also responds to this when there is a lack of water, because the curling gives a smaller surface area for water loss by transpiration.

[jjoropeza]

I guess is not one thing but a sum different benefits, like you propose, Perhaps catterpilars and other like creatures will be descorage eventhou it those not seem as efective as been poisonus or untastefull. Still a bit unclear since there are not that many plants that show this same activity.
How those the stimulus is trasfer to the cells that react? is it mecanichal?

[MrMistery]

It is a variation in osmotic pressure that makes the leavs behave like that