Many plants (including your jasmine) respond to physical stimuli and initiate changes in cell structure. A recent study has finally sorted what exactly happens in tendrils at least. It appears a specific layer of cells in plant tissues such as tendrils or shoot tips loose water while cells directly opposite retain water and turgor. This causes the tissue to naturally curl. If this is repeated along the length of a tendril multiple times you will get a winding or curling action which can wrap around a chicken fence for example. Here is a great video of it happening in real time: https://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/08/video-how-cucumber-tendrils-curl.html
Hi jalan,
Many plants (including your jasmine) respond to physical stimuli and initiate changes in cell structure. A recent study has finally sorted what exactly happens in tendrils at least. It appears a specific layer of cells in plant tissues such as tendrils or shoot tips loose water while cells directly opposite retain water and turgor. This causes the tissue to naturally curl. If this is repeated along the length of a tendril multiple times you will get a winding or curling action which can wrap around a chicken fence for example. Here is a great video of it happening in real time: https://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/08/video-how-cucumber-tendrils-curl.html
Cheers,
Brent
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