Codariocalyx motorius / Desmodium gyrans green midrib Botanical nomencltuare: Codariocalyx motorius / Desmodium gyrans green midrib This rather plain looking but nevertheless remarkable small shrub in the pea family is one of the few plants capable of clearly perceptible motion. At night it folds it leaves downwards so that they are fully pendulous while during the day they are spreading and can rotate and appear as if they were dancing, possibly a strategy to maximise light by tracking the sun. Codariocalyx motorius is also widely known by its older name Desmodium gyrans and is widespread in tropical Asia. |