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From: nxn@ihuxm.UUCP (Dave Nixon)
Newsgroups: net.garden
Subject: Re: smart sunflowers
Message-ID: <1290@ihuxm.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Jul-85 13:48:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxm.1290
Posted: Tue Jul 30 13:48:55 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 1-Aug-85 22:31:51 EDT
References: <1555@amd.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 15

> I always figured that sunflowers had, like, a spring in them.  Their
> 'natural' direction is to point to the rising sun and during the day
> they follow the sun, winding up the spring.  Come the fall of night,
> the sun goes away and ZZZRRRRRRRRT!  The spring unwinds and ready for
> the next day.  Someday I will take one apart and show you the spring.
> 
> 				Tom Crawford

In one of David Attenborough's "Life on Earth" series, there was a segment
about an arctic flower than follows the sun constantly (for several weeks
during the summer!). I don't remember the exact mechanism, but it was
effectively a bearing rather than twisting or spiral growth. Does anyone
have a tape of the series?

Dave Nixon	AT&T, Naperville, IL	..!ihnp4!ihuxm!nxn