Lavatera cretica

Lavatera cretica (syn. Malva linnaei) is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names Cornish mallow and Cretan hollyhock. It is native to western Europe, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Basin, and it is naturalized in areas with a Mediterranean climate, such as parts of Australia and California. This is an annual or biennial herb growing a tough, somewhat hairy stem to a maximum height between 1 and 3 meters. The leaves are multilobed with flat or wavy edges, slightly hairy, and up to 10 centimeters long. The plant bears small pink or light purple flowers with petals just over a centimeter long. The fruit is disc-shaped with 7 to 10 segments.

Lavatera cretica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Lavatera
Species:
L. cretica
Binomial name
Lavatera cretica
Synonyms

Malva linnaei

Leaf laminas of Lavatera cretica can track solar position throughout the day and turn to face the sunrise, behavior that anticipates the future, despite lacking a central nervous system.[1][2]

References
  1. Schwartz, A; Koller, D (1986). "Diurnal Phototropism in Solar Tracking Leaves of Lavatera cretica". Plant Physiology. 80 (3): 778–781. doi:10.1104/pp.80.3.778. PMC 1075199. PMID 16664701.
  2. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/life-without-brains-smart-slime-molds-plants-jellyfish-osr-science/


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