The sensitive mimosa turned out to be capable not only of reacting to external stimuli but also of anticipating their occurrence. This conclusion was reached by American researchers studying the behavior of the plant under controlled conditions.
The experiment was conducted in a closed humid environment without access to natural light. The scientists artificially alternated light and darkness to observe how the plant would react. For the first two days, the regime was stable: 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.
Then the lighting was turned off, but observations continued. After several repetitions of the set cycle, the mimosa began to show activity in advance — at the moments when dawn was supposed to occur according to the previous schedule. Moreover, when the light was not actually turned on, this reaction disappeared.
The authors of the study believe that the plant was able to "remember" the repeating sequence and adjust its behavior to the expected event. This was manifested in the change of leaf activity, which in mimosa usually folds in response to stimuli and unfolds depending on conditions.
The researchers emphasize that this behavior resembles processes typically associated with cognitive mechanisms. However, plants lack the neurons usually linked to decision-making. Nevertheless, the obtained data indicate that even without a nervous system, plants can demonstrate complex forms of response to their environment.
