5 interesting facts about plants

[taskeinc]

1. The oldest living organism in existence is not the giant redwood, it is the bristlecone pine, located in the White Mountains of California, believed to be 4,600 years old.
2. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew cannabis (marijuana) on their plantations.
3. A notch in a tree (man-made or otherwise) will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows.
4. The California redwood - coast redwood and giant sequoia - are the tallest and largest living organism in the world.
5. Mimosa pudica, collapses its leaves when it’s touched. It’s stem behave like a nerve and is sensitive to touch (see video below).

 

[Jed]

Interesting facts.
That last one is now a very big invasive weed problem in the north of Australia through forests and farm land areas.
Fortunately it doesn't do to well in the south of the country but is still being sold as an exotic plant.
You can by the seeds on the internet as TickleMe Plant.

It was introduced in from South America.

http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/w...d04-0605030c0f01/media/Html/Mimosa_pudica.htm

 

[zigs]

We got a Mimosa in the kitchen, sold as the sensitive plant over here.

How about this Humungus Fungus,

http://www.extremescience.com/biggest-living-thing.htm

 

[Jed]

We got a Mimosa in the kitchen, sold as the sensitive plant over here.

How about this Humungus Fungus,

http://www.extremescience.com/biggest-living-thing.htm

Simply amazing. It makes us seem so insignificant.

 

[zigs]

Then there's the question of clones, take a variety of potato, say King Edwards.

Now all the King Edward potatoes alive today are clones of the original cultivar, which has been grown on for the best part of a century.
So genetically its all part of the same plant.

 

[claudine]

This is so interesting, thank you for sharing! But number 3: "A notch in a tree (man-made or otherwise) will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows" - how is this possible?

 

[Jed]

Then there's the question of clones, take a variety of potato, say King Edwards.

Now all the King Edward potatoes alive today are clones of the original cultivar, which has been grown on for the best part of a century.
So genetically its all part of the same plant.

Interesting that. Locals have told me that the soil around these parts are suited to that variety of potato bot I have never seen it available in the agriculture store.
So you are saying the variety I grow the Pinkeye is also a clone as all potatoes are cloned?

 

[zigs]

King Edward was on the banned list for a while, due to it being suceptable to blight. Probably will be again after last season.

Once a potato has been bred & tested, all the potatoes of that variety are cloned from that plant, so yes.

If you plant seeds from a potato you will get tubers of all shapes, colours & sizes, depending on what other varieties its been polinated with.

Don't go trying to eat ones you've grown from seed though, might be toxic. Even a tested one made it onto the market a few years ago, luckily it was eaten by a scientist shortly after it came up for sale, he recognised the symptoms of solanine poisoning & it was withdrawn from sale.

 

[taskeinc]

We got a Mimosa in the kitchen, sold as the sensitive plant over here.

How about this Humungus Fungus,

http://www.extremescience.com/biggest-living-thing.htm

Wow, when you read, Honey Mushroom, at first glance you're thinking something good, something sweet, not a large, invasive fungus. I was watching a video, the subject was about spirituality and why people manipulate others, but the speaker stated, "plants also manipulate other plants." I thought that was pretty interesting and I see how it can be true. Gonna have to keep my eye on my plants, make sure they are not invaded or manipulated by some rogue plant.

 

[catevanne]

Anyone ever read 'The Secret Life o Plants' ? It talks about soil and alternative farming methods. Through a series of tests conducted on plants, the authors of the book came to the conclusion that plants have feelings...that is one very interesting plant 'fact'.

 

[claudine]

Anyone ever read 'The Secret Life o Plants' ? It talks about soil and alternative farming methods. Through a series of tests conducted on plants, the authors of the book came to the conclusion that plants have feelings...that is one very interesting plant 'fact'.

I haven't read the book but I also heard plants have feelings. I heard that if you think about hurting your plant, it will feel it and it won't grow as fast as it would if you liked it.
I'm not sure if it's possible though. I doubt it.

 

[Flourishes]

This is all very fascinating; plants manipulating other plants, plants having feelings (I believe this), potentially poisonous potatoes, notches in trees that remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows(?)

Just these few comments here, along with the research that has been done that accompanies the comments, shows that there is so much that we don't know about seemingly 'simple' plant life.

 

[catevanne]

If plants have feelings, then I have really hurt a lot of them! I hope it isn't true-I feel guilty.I know that plants know when to open and close in order to attract bees that will pollinate them.....that's amazing!

 

[iluvmario]

Cool list! I was surprised by number 3. So trees grow from the top not the bottom. Number 5 is pretty cool too.

 

[claudine]

I've just found something interesting so I want to share. These are the smallest flowers in the world, Wolffia:

Aren't they tiny?