A Detailed Explanation of the Effects and Care Points of the Sensitive Plant
The sensitive plant is the most common green plant in our homes. It can effectively purify indoor air, and its leaves can also fold up on their own. Next, let us take a look together at the effects and care points of the sensitive plant!
What Are the Effects of the Sensitive Plant
1. Medicinal Effects
The sensitive plant can clear heat and promote diuresis, resolve phlegm and relieve cough, calm the mind and relieve pain, detoxify, dissipate blood stasis, stop bleeding, and astringe. It is used for colds, high fever in children, acute conjunctivitis, bronchitis, gastritis, enteritis, urinary stones, malaria, and neurasthenia; externally it is used to treat bruises and swelling, sores and toxic swellings, hemoptysis, and shingles.
2. Ornamental Value
The sensitive plant has a scattered plant form, with slender and elegant pinnate leaves; its leaves close as soon as they are touched. The sensitive plant's flowers are numerous and delicate, charming and lovely, giving people an impression of frail elegance. It can be planted in the ground at the corner of a courtyard, or grown in a pot on a windowsill or desk.
3. Predicting Earthquakes
According to Turkish seismologist Ercan, several hours before a strong earthquake occurs, the leaves of the sensitive plant, which are sensitive to external touch, will suddenly shrivel and then wither. In earthquake-prone Japan, scientists have found through research that under normal conditions, the leaves of the sensitive plant open during the day and close at night.
If the leaves of the sensitive plant show the abnormal phenomenon of closing during the day and opening at night, it is a precursor to an earthquake. For example: at 7 a.m. on January 11, 1938, the sensitive plant began to open, but by 10 o'clock, the leaves suddenly all closed, and sure enough, a strong earthquake occurred on the 13th. In 1976, members of the Japan Earthquake Club observed the abnormal closing phenomenon of sensitive plant leaves many times, and earthquakes subsequently occurred each time.
In addition, the sensitive plant can also predict disastrous weather changes, producing growth activities that go against its normal patterns in response to sudden out-of-season temperature differences, changes in geomagnetism, geoelectricity, and so on. We can place some potted sensitive plants indoors to observe and help predict and guard against natural disasters.
Care Points for the Sensitive Plant
During the growth period of the sensitive plant, along with watering, apply diluted decomposed liquid fertilizer (3-4) times about every 10 days. As a potted ornamental flower, it should be moved to a sunny spot indoors, and it can safely overwinter at a room temperature of 0-12 degrees.
Water: It likes moisture; water once a day during the summer growing period.
Fertilizer: Apply topdressing once every half month during the seedling stage. If you do not want the sensitive plant to grow too large, reduce the amount of fertilizer.
Soil: It requires deep, fertile, moist soil.
Temperature: It is not cold-tolerant and likes a warm climate; in winter the plant withers and dies on its own.
Light: It likes ample light and tolerates partial shade slightly.
Propagation: Sow seeds to propagate. Sow from late March to early April. Seedlings grow relatively slowly; when the seedlings are 7-8 cm tall, they can be planted out.
Is It True That the Sensitive Plant Is Toxic
The reason the sensitive plant "feels shy": after the sensitive plant is stimulated, its leaflets close and its petioles droop. A research team led by Professor Tsuchiya Takahide of Sophia University in Japan uncovered the mystery of the sensitive plant's closing movement: the cells of the sensitive plant are supported by a fine, network-like protein called "actin." When the closing movement occurs, the phosphate on actin detaches. As long as the sensitive plant absorbs a compound that prevents phosphate from detaching, it will not change even when touched. Professor Tsuchiya pointed out that when the actin bundles disperse, the cells are destroyed, and as a result water runs out, causing the closing movement. Actin is generally found in the muscle fibers of animals and is related to muscle contraction and relaxation. It was unexpected that it also exists in the sensitive plant, which can be called quite rare.
The mimosine in the body of the sensitive plant is a toxic substance. After excessive contact by the human body, it can cause hair loss.
The above is all the content I have summarized for everyone on the effects and care points of the sensitive plant. I hope this article can help everyone. Please also continue to follow us.