HOW LILIES CLOSE THEIR PETALS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11827, 7 January 1933, Page 9

HOW LILIES CLOSE THEIR PETALS.

The Indian botanist, Sir J. C. Bose, has’ an interesting theory to explain the closing of the water lilies’ petals. He has decided that it is caused by a rise in temperature, and that the opening of the petals is due; to a fall of temperature. The Asiatic water lilies close their petals during the day, as if/sleeping, and are awake all night. The Indian poets say that they are “lovers of the moon.” The outer floral leaves arc green, and pass unnoticed among the green floating leaves, but in the evening, whether the moon shines or not, the white flowers cover the dark waters. Om white water lilies are lovers of the sun. Raising their flowers of many petals from the water, they expand about 7 o’clock in the morning, and begin to close, and repose, at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. The two sides of the petal differ in sensibility. In the European lilies the inner sides are more sensitive. In the Indian.lily the outer side is more sensitive, and with a.rise of temperature it grows faster than the inner side, and causes the closing movement. The reverse movement takes place during a faii of temperature. Though plants ave deaf they are, -in some ways, more sensitive than ourselves. The human eve perceives only an octave of colors, lying between red and violet. Plants '.perceive not- only visible light, but/ the invisible ultra-violet, and the wirless infra-red ether waves at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Sir J. C. Bose states that a plant is eight times more sensitive than a nian to an electric current.