Although it has passed into the museum of obsolete technology the telegraph was once the dominant information transmission technology. It ushered in a new age of information sharing and laid the groundwork for the telephone and internet to follow. Few know about its contribution to horticulture.
The Desmodium motorium is a tropical Asian shrub commonly known as the "Telegraph Plant." Its name comes from the movement of its lateral leaflets witch rotate and move up and down over a period of minutes. The movements occur in jerks under the influence of the sun. These quick jerks are similiar to the telegraph ticker, hence the plant's name.
-Professor Walter
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