Telegraph Plant
Codariocalyx motorius
Also known as Indian Telegraph Plant
About Telegraph Plant
Codariocalyx motorius (though often placed in Desmodium), known as the telegraph plant, dancing plant, or semaphore plant, is a tropical Asian shrub in the pea family (Fabaceae), one of a few plants capable of rapid movement; others include Mimosa pudica, the venus flytrap and Utricularia. The motion occurs in daylight hours when the temperature is above 22° C. Many sources claim that the two leaflets move on a common axis (like the blades of a kayak paddle) even though there is no rigid connection between them. It is widely distributed throughout Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Codariocalyx motorius
- Genus
- Codariocalyx
- Family
- FABACEAE
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous forests and grasslands
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Himalayas, Pakistan, Nepal, Southeast Asia, Australia, China, Malaysia
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-February
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Hindi
- Dudli
- Bengali
- Nageswar, Ban chandal, বনচাঁড়াল
- Tamil
- தொழுகண்ணி Tolukanni, தொழுகண்ணி
- Telugu
- Thozhuganni, Touganni
- Kannada
- Aelemudure, Naagathagare, Nagar gare
- Malayalam
- രാമനാമപ്പച്ച, തൊഴുകണ്ണി
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Telegraph Plant belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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