gyrans

Updated: May 9, 2025

Pursue its modifications into classes of a more complex, or rather, perhaps, of a more gaseous or attenuate nature, and it will evince the power of vegetable or fibrous irritability: ascend through the classes of vegetables, and you will at length reach the strong stimulative perfection, the palpable vitality of the mimosa pudica, or the hedysarum gyrans, the former of which shrinks from the touch with the most bashful coyness, while the latter perpetually dances beneath the jocund rays of the sun.

James Buchanan - Modern Atheism under its forms of Pantheism, Materialism, Secularism, Development, and Natural Laws

Chundali Borrum is the name which the natives give to this plant; it is the Hedylarum gyrans, or moving plant; its class is two brotherhoods, ten males.

Erasmus Darwin - The Botanic Garden. Part II.: Containing the Loves of the Plants. a Poem.: With Philosophical Notes.

But the most curious instance is that of the telegraph-plant, or Desmodium gyrans, each complete leaf of which consists of a large terminal leaflet and two little lateral ones. These latter keep up, night and day, an irregular jerking movement, which has been compared to the movements of a semaphore.

Hugo de Vries - Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation

The same occurs in animal mules, as the common mule and the hinnus, and in sheep The wind called Harmattan from volcanic eruptions; some epidemic coughs or influenza have the same origin Fish killed in the sea by dry summers in Asia Hedysarum gyrans perpetually moves its leaves like the respiration of animals Plants possess a voluntary power of motion Loud cracks from ice-mountains explained

Erasmus Darwin - The Botanic Garden. Part II.: Containing the Loves of the Plants. a Poem.: With Philosophical Notes.

A more particular account, with a good print of the Hedyfarum gyrans is given by M. Brouffonet in a paper on vegetable motions in the Histoire de l'Academie des Sciences. Ann. 1784, p. 609. There are many other instances of spontaneous movements of the parts of vegetables.

Erasmus Darwin - The Botanic Garden. Part II.: Containing the Loves of the Plants. a Poem.: With Philosophical Notes.

"It must be added that many leaves are furnished with muscles about their foot-stalks, to turn their surfaces to the air or light, as mimosa or Hedysarum gyrans. From all these analogies I think there can be no doubt but that leaves of trees are their lungs, giving out a phlogistic material to the atmosphere, and absorbing oxygen, or vital air.

Edward Huntington Williams - A History of Science — Volume 4