Jaina Biology

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 78

The World of Life : Plants
67
organs except that of touch and do nervous system as found in man and higher animals. They have sensitiveness generated by stimulus.49
Actively growing plants can respond to a stimulus 50 coming from a given direction by growing more rapidly or bend way from the stimulus. 51
If an organism (e. g. creeper ) is motile, it may respond to a stimulus by moving towards it for support.
When a seed is oriented in the ground in any way, the primitive root (mūla )53 and shoot (ankura )54 of the developing embryo grow; the root grows downward and the shoot grows upward.55 Thus the root positively geotropic and negatively heliotropic and the shoot is negatively geotropic but positively heliotropic.
Transmission of Impulse of plants
In a few plants responses to stimuli do occur rapidly enough to be radily seen. One of them is the response of the sepsitive plant “Mimosa pudica ” ( Lajjāvatilată ).56 Normally the leaves of this plant are horizontal, but if one of them is lightly touched, all the leaflets fold within two or three seconds.
Touching one leaf sharply causes not only the stimulated leaf, but also the neighbouring leaves, to fold and droop. After a few minutes the leaves return to their original position.
Sleep Movement57 of plants
Many plants change the position of their leaves or flower parts in 49. Yathā manusyasariram Jñanenānugatam, evem vanaspatisariramapi, yathḥ samip
rapunnātasiddhesarakasundakabappulāgastyāmalkika diprabhstināṁ svāpavibodha. tastadbhavah ..... tatha mattakāminisanūpurasukumaracaraṇatādan äśokataroh
pallavakusumodbedah / etc.. Ibid., p. 137. 50. See Foot Note 6, Page No. 92. 51. Tarkarahasyadipikā, pp. 158-9; "Samjñā niyatasamkocavi kasapramukhāpapi
samjainam katha nātmānam na jñāpayanti yuktıbhih //", Lokaprak aşa, 5.38. 52. Tarkarahasyadipika. p. 159. 53. " Ambukalaksmādirünasāmag isambhave sati / sa eva jātu bijängi baddhatādrsa
karmakah (II) V. 63. Utpadyate tatra, bije ano va bhūkā aikādikah ". Nibaddımū
lādināmagotrakarmatra jayate” V. 64. Lokapra kaga, 5.63-64. 54. “Udgacchan prathamānkūrah sarvasadhá ano bhavet /", Lokaprakāśa, 5.74.
“Vanaspatisariramankurakisalaya....vardhata iti/", Tarkarahasyadipikā, p. 157. 55. “Vanaspatisariramankurakisalayaśākhāprasākhadibhirviseşaih pratiniyatam
vardhata iti/", Tarkarahasyadipikā, p. 157. 56. “Tatha Lajjālūprabhịtināṁ hastādisamsparģātpatrasankocādipä parisphuţakriyo.
palabhyate /I”. Tarkarahasyadipikā, p. 158. 57. Svāparabodhasparsa dihetukollāşasamkocasrayopasa:paņādivisistānekakriya /",
Tarkarahasya dipakā, p. 159.