Night life plants

N.Yu. Feoktistova

What do plants do at night? I just want to answer this question: They are resting. After all, it would seem that all the active life of a plant occurs during the day. During the daytime, flowers open and are pollinated by insects, leaves unfurl, young stems grow and stretch their tops towards the sun. It is during daylight hours that plants use solar energy to convert the carbon dioxide they absorb from atmospheric air, into sugar.

However, the plant not only synthesizes organic substances, it uses them in the process of respiration, again oxidizing them to carbon dioxide while absorbing oxygen. But the amount of oxygen necessary for plants for breathing, about 30 times less than that, which is released by them during photosynthesis. At night, in the dark, photosynthesis does not occur, but even at this time the plants consume so little oxygen that this does not affect us at all. That's why old tradition removing plants from the patient’s room at night is completely unreasonable.

There are also a number of plant species that consume carbon dioxide at night. Since the energy from sunlight required for full recovery There is no carbon at this time, sugar, of course, is not formed. But carbon dioxide absorbed from the air is stored in the composition of malic or aspartic acids, which then, already in the light, decompose again, releasing CO2. It is these molecules of carbon dioxide that are included in the cycle of basic reactions of photosynthesis, the so-called Calvin cycle. In most plants, this cycle begins with the capture of a CO2 molecule directly from the air. This simple method is called the C3 path of photosynthesis, and if carbon dioxide is preliminarily stored in malic acid, this is the C4 path.

It would seem, why do we need additional complications? Primarily in order to save water. After all, a plant can absorb carbon dioxide only through open stomata, through which water evaporates. And during the day, in the heat, much more water is lost through the stomata than at night. And in C4 plants, the stomata are closed during the day, and water does not evaporate. These plants carry out gas exchange during the cool night hours. In addition, the C4 pathway is generally more efficient; it allows the synthesis large quantity organic matter per unit of time. But only in good lighting conditions and with sufficient high temperature air.

So C4 photosynthesis is characteristic of southern plants from hot regions. It is inherent in most cacti, some other succulents, a number of bromeliads, for example, the well-known pineapple (Ananas comosus), sugar cane and corn.

Interestingly, back in 1813, long before the biochemical reactions underlying photosynthesis were known, researcher Benjamin Hayne wrote to the Linnean Scientific Society that the leaves of a number of succulent plants tasted especially pungent in the morning, and then, by mid-day, their taste becomes softer.

The ability to use CO2 bound in organic acids is determined genetically, but the implementation of this program is also under control external environment. During heavy rain, when there is no threat of drying out and the light level is low, C4 plants can open their stomata during the day and switch to the usual C3 path.

What else can happen to plants at night?

Some species have adapted to attract their pollinators at night. For this they use different means: both the smell, which intensifies at night, and the color, pleasant and noticeable to the eyes of nocturnal pollinators, is white or yellowish-beige. Moths fly to such flowers. They pollinate the flowers of jasmine (Jasminum), gardenia (Gardenia), moonflowers (Ipomea alba), nocturnal violet (Hesperis), bifolia (Platanthera bifolia), curly lily (Lilium martagon) and a number of other plants.

And there are plants (they are called chiropterophilous) that pollinate at night bats. Most of these plants are in the tropics of Asia, America and Australia, and less in Africa. These are bananas, agaves, boababs, some representatives of the families of myrtaceae, legumes, begoniaceae, gesneriaceae, and cyanaceae.

The flowers of chiropterophilous plants open only at dusk and are not very bright in color; they are usually greenish-yellow, brown or purple. The smell of such flowers is very specific, often unpleasant for us, but probably attractive to bats. In addition, the flowers of chiropterophilous plants are usually large, have a strong perianth, and are equipped with landing sites for their pollinators. Such sites can be thick pedicels and peduncles or leafless areas of branches adjacent to flowers.

Some chiropterophilous plants even talk to their pollinators, attracting them. When the flower of the vine Mucuna holtonii, which belongs to the legume family and grows in tropical forests Central America, becomes ready for pollination, one of its petals takes on a specific concave shape. This concave lobe concentrates and reflects the signal emitted by bats in search of food, thereby informing them of their location.

But not only chiropteran mammals pollinate flowers. More than 40 species of animals from other orders are known in the tropics, actively participating in the pollination of about 25 plant species. Many of these plants, like those pollinated by bats, have large and durable flowers that are often unpleasantly smelling and form a large number of pollen and nectar. Usually the number of flowers on such plants or in their inflorescences is small; the flowers are located low above the ground and open only at night to provide maximum convenience nocturnal animals.

The night life of flowers is not limited to attracting pollinators. Whole line The plant closes its petals at night, but insects remain overnight inside the flower. Most famous example similar hotel for insects, is Amazon lily(Victoria amasonica). Europeans saw it for the first time in 1801, and detailed description the plant was made in 1837 by the English botanist Schomburg. The scientist was simply shocked and he giant leaves, and wonderful flowers and named the flower Nymphea Victoria, in honor of the English Queen Victoria.

Amazonian Victoria seeds were first sent to Europe in 1827, but then they did not germinate. In 1846, the seeds were sent to Europe again, this time in water bottles. And they not only withstood the road perfectly, but also developed into full-fledged plants, which bloomed after 3 years. This happened at Kew Botanical Gardens in England. The news that Victoria was about to bloom quickly spread not only among employees botanical garden, but also among artists and reporters. A huge crowd had gathered in the greenhouse. Everyone eagerly watched the clock, waiting for the flower to open. At 5 o'clock in the evening, the still closed bud rose above the water, its sepals opened and snow-white petals appeared. The wonderful smell of ripe pineapple spread throughout the greenhouse. A few hours later the flower closed and sank under the water. He appeared again only at 7 pm next day. But, to the surprise of everyone present, the petals of the miracle flower were no longer white, but bright pink. Soon they began to fall off, while their color became more and more intense. After the petals completely fell, the active movement of the stamens began, which, according to the testimony of those present, was even audible.

But in addition to their extraordinary beauty, Victoria flowers also have amazing features associated with attracting insects. On the first day, the temperature in the white Victoria flower rises by about 11C compared to the surrounding air, and in the evening, with the onset of coolness, a large number of insects accumulate in this warm place. In addition, special food bodies are formed on the carpels of the flower, which also attract pollinators. When the flower closes and sinks under the water, insects also sink with it. There they spend the night and the entire next day, until the flower rises to the surface again. Only now it is already cold and not fragrant, and insects, loaded with pollen, fly in search of new warm and fragrant white flowers to pollinate, and at the same time to spend the night in the next warm and safe hotel.

One more, perhaps no less beautiful flower The lotus also provides its pollinators with night quarters. There are two types of lotus. In the Old World, the nut-bearing lotus with pink flowers grows, and in America the American lotus with yellow flowers. The lotus is able to maintain a relatively constant temperature inside its flowers, much higher than the temperature of the surrounding air. Even if it’s only +10C outside, inside the flower it’s +30...+35C! Lotus flowers are heated 12 days before opening, and a constant temperature is maintained in them for 24 days. During this time, the anthers ripen, and the stigma of the pistil becomes capable of receiving pollen.

The lotus is pollinated by beetles and bees, whose active flight requires a temperature of just about 30C. If insects find themselves in a flower after it closes and spend the night in warmth and comfort, actively moving and being covered with pollen, then in the morning, when the flower opens, they are immediately able to fly to other flowers. Thus, lotus residents gain an advantage over numb insects that have spent the night in the cold. Thus, the warmth of the flower, transferred to the insect, contributes to the prosperity of the lotus population.

Many representatives of the aroid family, such as the giant amorphophallus (Amorphophallus titanus), the well-known monstera and philodendrons, have flower petioles that produce

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Lighting of plants plays a huge role in their development in all periods. Thanks to light, photosynthesis and other mass occur in the plant. necessary processes, it grows, the fruits ripen and so on. It is not without reason that numerous lamps and luminaires are used for additional illumination when natural light not enough.

But then what about the root system? After all, on the contrary, it is reliably protected from light in order to prevent the hydroponic solution from blooming and the appearance of algae? There is even an opinion that roots grow only when night falls for the plant, and during daylight hours their growth stops. Is it so?

Will root growth stop if plants are exposed to prolonged light?

To answer this question, it is enough to think a little. For example, if a plant is illuminated 24 hours a day, then, in accordance with the belief described above, it cannot develop root system. That is, for a long time daylight hours the plant will not be viable. But in practice this is not the case. Many plants require long-term lighting, but their roots develop successfully. Some require stimulating fertilizers, some do without them, but, one way or another, the roots grow.

Where is the truth?

In fact, nature has provided for everything, and man can only understand its principles.

The plant receives energy from light, this is why plants are illuminated with lamps, it is enhanced with the help of reflectors and other methods. The goal is to give the plant as much energy as possible. Many processes in a plant occur during daylight hours, but not all energy is consumed. The plant puts aside part of it at night.

When the light goes out and the plant finds itself in darkness, it begins to use up the energy it has accumulated during the day. Moreover, it spends it wisely and evenly, spending some on roots, and honor on stems and leaves.

To make sure that the plant organism is intelligent, you can conduct a very simple experiment - trim the green part of the plant. In this case, the roots will begin to develop more slowly. If you do the opposite, that is, trim the roots, the growth of the above-ground part will slow down.

In turn, the roots also work - they absorb micro- and macroelements contained in fertilizers for the nutrient solution. They do this throughout their lives, regardless of the lighting of the plant, its presence or absence.

IN dark time days metabolic processes between aboveground and underground part are more active, since at this time the green part does not absorb energy, but only consumes it. It is not for nothing that the seedlings become larger in the morning - this indicates that the plant is actively working at night, building itself.

Thus, it is incorrect to say that roots grow only when the plants are not illuminated. The plant develops harmoniously at any time of the day, the only difference is in the tasks it performs in the light and in the dark.

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How do plants react to light?

Plants are irresistibly drawn to the light. In nature, they naturally grow upward because the sun hits them from above. Indoor plants standing far from the window stretch out and bend towards the light source. When there is clearly not enough light, etiolation begins, that is, weak, fragile pale stems appear, which indicates a disruption of the physiological cycle due to low light.

As long as the phototropic behavior of the plant is expressed only by the tilting of the stems, nothing terrible has happened yet. It is enough to turn the pot a quarter turn every month so that it maintains a more aesthetically pleasing straight silhouette. But this can only be done with decorative leaf plants, because any change in position can be detrimental to flowering plants. This is why gardenias, hibiscus, hoyas and many orchids suddenly drop their flower buds, as if for no apparent reason. Do not turn the pot containing these fragile plants. If you need to rearrange it when you clean a room, stick a match into the substrate so that it is on the same axis with some stationary object (for example, a window frame). You can safely rearrange the plant, do what is required, and then return it exactly to its original place. The plant will take its usual position. And don't forget Golden Rule: If a plant is happy in a certain place, do not move it. All plants are big homebodies.

How to protect plants from bright sun?

During hot summer hours, when the sun is high in the sky, the power of solar radiation is poorly tolerated by plants. By the least means A light transparent curtain can be considered protection. But it is better to hang blinds that do not allow access sun rays which heat the air too much. If you have a greenhouse or veranda, you should seriously consider purchasing automatic system shading. A Depending on the position of the lamps, the effect changes. The choice of light direction depends on the silhouette of the plants and the atmosphere you want to create.

Do indoor plants need to be illuminated?

The beauty of houseplants also depends on lighting. Depending on the angle of incidence of the light, they will look different. Tree-like and large plants They will only benefit if they are illuminated from below with an upward beam. This strange, unnatural direction of light creates a theatrical effect, and this can be used in winter garden. Side light works the same way. Thanks to it, plants cast a very long shadow.

Plants with thin stems and transparent or colored leaves - balsam, coleus, caladium, some types of begonia - look great when lit from behind and slightly from the side. The light falling from above is close to natural. Illuminating the plant from below on both sides creates a magical effect, emphasizing the graphic nature of its design, the differences in light and shadow, and the play of colors.

How do plants react to lack of light?
How do plants react to excess light?

Why do plants need sunlight?

The process of photosynthesis is one of the most amazing processes of living nature. To produce chlorophyll, plants absorb carbon dioxide with the participation of solar energy, which needs quite a lot. With a lack of sunlight, plants begin to wither and may die. Light is especially needed in the spring and summer months, when life processes plants proceed especially energetically.

Large trees, for example, can live for quite a long time in low light, but their growth form will not change. Such plants include woody ficus, eucalyptus, hibiscus, avocado, feijoa, etc.

And ornamental flowering plants will not bloom in low light conditions.

How to improve the light mode?

In summer, it is better to take the plants outside open air. Glass delays ultra-violet rays, which help destroy microbes and improve plant health. At first, the plants need to be shaded from the midday sun with gauze or newspaper.

Which plants need direct sunlight?

Long-flowering plants, agave, aloe, bulbous, some cacti, oleander, pelargonium, gerbera, etc. need direct sunlight. It is better to place such plants on a well-lit windowsill, so that they do not touch the glass.

Which plants need partial shade or partial shade?

Fuchsia, philodendron, ferns, etc. grow normally in partial shade. To provide partial shade, plants should be placed under the cover of other, more sun-loving plants, or on windows shaded by trees.

Plants such as ivy, some bromeliads, individual species ferns, monstera, must be kept as far as possible from light sources.

How much light do indoor plants need?

What light regime do such indoor plants need:

Why do you need to rotate plants?

Plants located on the windowsill, as a rule, face the light on only one side. Its leaves and stems stretch towards the window. To prevent the stem from bending, it is necessary to periodically rotate the pot around its axis. As a rule, all indoor plants only face one side of the light source, so be sure to rotate them periodically.

Which plants cannot be rotated or rearranged?

There are sensitive plants that do not like to be turned around. They perceive a change in the position of the fall of sunlight as a signal of danger; they can drop buds and sometimes leaves. It is better to place plants such as cacti, azalea, and camellia in exactly the same position in which they usually stand.

Which window should the plant be placed near for maximum comfort?

South-east and south-west window best suited for residents open spaces, plants such as succulents, many bulbous plants(havortia, gasteria, spurge, rose, tuberous begonias, most cacti, aloe, hippeastrum, valotta, zephyranthes, eucomis).

West and east window suitable for most indoor plants. The windowsill will be comfortable for many flowering and some decorative leafy indoor plants. Achimenes, caladium, arrowroot, bougainvillea, peperomia, balsam, some tradescantia, callisia, centolia, kalanchoe, and many begonias will also feel good.

Windows facing northeast, northwest. Near such windows you can place plants that do not need sun all day long, for example, vines that live in conditions of significant shading.

North window. Only a few of the decorative leaf plants can adapt to low light conditions: aglaonema, asplenium. Also, these conditions are suitable for most ferns. However, ornamental flowering plants will not bloom in such light.

What is the relationship between flowering and day length?

For active growth most plants need 12-16 hours a day of natural or fairly bright light artificial lighting.

However, to stimulate the flowering process different plants need to different quantities light per day. There are plants have a long day, short day and neutral.

Neutral plants will begin to flower if they receive enough light (fairly bright light 12-14 hours a day) over a period of several weeks.

Long-day plants set ovaries and bloom when they receive 13 to 15 hours of light per day over several weeks.

In short-day plants, the ovary and flowers appear only if they receive a strictly defined amount of light for 8-10 weeks: 12, 13 or 14 hours. In winter, the amount of sunlight is small, but it will be enough for short-day plants, such as poinsettias, to bloom.

For some plants, for example Kalanchoe, Decembrist cactus, chrysanthemums, a strictly defined number of light hours and correct alternation day and night. If you regularly turn on electric lighting, interrupting night sleep these plants, they may not bloom.

Also, plants do not bloom if they do not receive their daily minimum. For such plants, artificial lighting can be used.

Why do you need artificial lighting?

Artificial lighting is used:

• - if the plants are in low light conditions sunlight: in the corners of rooms with windows facing north, in rooms with blinds and thick curtains;
• - to stimulate the flowering of some flowering plants, for example, Uzambara violets;
• - for growing colorful plants such as begonias, bromeliads;
• - to maintain the growth of plants that do not require a period of winter dormancy.

In winter, by using artificial lighting in winter, you can lengthen the day so much that short-day plants begin to bloom.

For most indoor plants, regular fluorescent bulbs are fine, but incandescent bulbs are not effective for artificial lighting purposes.

The duration of artificial light is usually 8-12 hours, although flowering plants may require up to 18 hours of light for buds to form and develop.

How plants react to lack of light

• Leaves are smaller and paler than usual
• Small or no flowers in flowering species
• The lower leaves turn yellow, dry out and fall off
• Lack of growth or elongated stems with very long internodes
• Variegated leaves turn green

How plants react to excess light

• Brown or gray spots from burns
• Leaves droop during the day
• Leaves shade-loving plants shrink and die

Why do plants need less light during the dormant period?

IN winter time The plants enter a period of relative dormancy. The growth of most plants slows down or stops completely, so the need for sunlight minimal.

The duration of the dormant period is three to four months.

1) Plants breathe just like us: In all plant organs, part of the glucose obtained during photosynthesis is oxidized by oxygen. This produces the energy necessary for life, as well as carbon dioxide.

2) Why can’t you put a lot of plants in the bedroom? Plants in the bedroom will not produce oxygen at night because photosynthesis does not occur in the dark. Consequently, plants do not feed at night. And plants breathe all the time - both day and night. When breathing, plants, like us, absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide, so a sleeping person will feel stuffy.

3) Why when excessive watering does the plant die? If the soil is filled with water, there will be no air in it, the roots of the plants will not be able to breathe and will die (suffocate).

Tests

1. Compare the nutrition and respiration of plants with ours
A) plants eat and breathe just like us
B) plants eat the same as we do, but breathe differently
C) plants eat differently and breathe the same way as we do
D) plants eat and breathe differently

2. Where does glucose oxidation occur in plants?

B) in the roots
B) in all organs
D) glucose oxidation does not occur anywhere in plants

3. Where does carbon dioxide form in plants?
A) in green leaves in the light
B) in the roots
B) in all organs
D) carbon dioxide is not formed anywhere in plants

4. When does plant respiration and photosynthesis occur?
A) respiration and photosynthesis occur constantly
B) breathing only during the day, and photosynthesis is constant
C) photosynthesis occurs only during the day, but respiration is constant
D) photosynthesis only during the day, and respiration only at night

5. Where does plant respiration and photosynthesis occur?
A) respiration and photosynthesis occur in all plant organs
B) respiration and photosynthesis occur only in leaves
C) photosynthesis only in leaves, and respiration in all organs
D) photosynthesis only in the leaves, and respiration only in the roots

6. Occurs in plant leaves
A) photosynthesis
B) photosynthesis and respiration

7. Occurs in plant roots
A) photosynthesis
B) photosynthesis and respiration
B) photosynthesis, respiration and absorption of mineral salts
D) respiration and absorption of mineral salts

8. Occurs in all plant organs
A) photosynthesis
B) photosynthesis and respiration
B) respiration and absorption of mineral salts
D) breathing