Cabomba caroliniana

[wks]

Hi guys, my girl noticed that the leaves of Cabomba caroliniana fold up after the tank lights turned off, they open again once the lights are on. She popped this interesting "why" science question which I cannot even answer. So I search the net and even look up for information in Christel Kesselmann book (my aquatic plant bible), unfortunately no one says anything about this unique behaviour.

I hope someone here can provide some answers or maybe even clues.

[illumnae]

i believe some terrestrial plants exhibit this behaviour too. the reason is probably that the leaves need to be open to "catch" sunlight during the lighted hours, and since there is no light at night (or when your tank lights are off), they conserve energy by folding/drooping when the lights are off.

i'm not 100% sure of this though haha...i vaguely remember reading about it during upper primary/lower secondary school science lessons but it was too long ago

[hwchoy]

actually some plants seem to have an internal cycle and they kind of "know" the daylight cycle. Cambomba will close their leaves even if you leave the lights on way after "lights out" time. Several other plants do this as well, such as Gartiola.

[lyh]

Last time I use to have this water lily that opens flower at night and closes in the day. I think the biological clock in it has screwed up

[hwchoy]

no, there are certain species of waterlily that are night flowering.

[lyh]

no, there are certain species of waterlily that are night flowering.

Hi Choy thanks for the clarification. I have been wondering for a long time why this happens

[hwchoy]

night flowering plants uses nocturnal insects as pollinators typically moths and beetles.

[Sunfire]

Hi guys, my girl noticed that the leaves of Cabomba caroliniana fold up after the tank lights turned off, they open again once the lights are on. She popped this interesting "why" science question which I cannot even answer. So I search the net and even look up for information in Christel Kesselmann book (my aquatic plant bible), unfortunately no one says anything about this unique behaviour.

I hope someone here can provide some answers or maybe even clues.

its around these links somewhere....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytochrome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoperiodism

[wks]

Thanks Sunfire for your help.

[medicineman]

This has something to do with internal turgor pressure which is triggered by photoperiod mechanism. Such plant will even fold itself once it had enough of photoperiod. I observe this when I extend the light period on them, they will still fold up in time.