Can this Plant /Actually/ See?

These South American plants can mimic other trees, and it's possible that they can do this because they can SEE.

These Plants Can Shapeshift

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[nicevers]

I wonder what would happen if one were to put fantasy leaves around the plant.
Interesting colors or textures.
Even wild shapes not found in nature.

[lucidmoses]

WOW! That plastic plant experiment is compelling. That for sure needs to be replicated.

[SasiakGnarly]

I have one of those in my house!!
The common name of this species is "Pil-Pil Boqui" or just "Boqui".
I'm from the Los Ríos region in Chile; here you can see them in rural areas everywhere. You can even easily find individual plants of this species with different leaf shapes, it's pretty interesting.

[DracoNobilis]

Ended up reading a paper on this about 8 months ago and trying to explain it to people without looking like you've fallen for an elaborate April Fools joke is so tricky!

[StuffandThings_]

I've also caught my related Akebia quinata vine doing mimicry. It was even mimicking the variegation of a nearby variegated maple, the leaf patterns of marjoram, and most obviously the leaves of a honeysuckle vine it was growing on. Interestingly, it mimicked the color of the honeysuckle vine's new growth (lime green) and seemed unable to adjust to the darker green that the honeysuckle faded to later in the season, thus sticking out sorely in color (though still matching the shape and venation quite well). It also didn't seem to mimic for the first couple years, only later after getting established and experiencing some predation did it start to show this. Maybe I missed it but it only became obvious later. This is interesting for a few reasons - only Boquila trifoliolata in the Lardizabalaceae is documented to mimic, yet here another Lardizabalaceae member is doing mimicry as well. I'm not sure if mimicking variegation is documented as well, but the white borders were as clear as day mimicking the maple. And of course, it seemed to only work on the new growth, and couldn't adjust later.

[khajiitkitten]

Since we now know that plants living in a forest, for example, communicate through their roots, it may be possible that some information is being shared about growth habits, shapes, etc. It would certainly make sense for plants to use any available means of communication, including bacteria and some sort of photo sense. Amazingly cool!!

[a.forbes]

It isn't farfetched to conclude that organisms that basically eat light have convergently evolved some type of photoreception ability. For example plants are definitely capable of detecting variations in light & shade so something as simple as leaves casting a specifically shaped shadow on the immature leaves of this copycat could be all that's required to trigger a complex biochemical/hormonal cascade that enables their to mimicry.

[peterjf]

You should make a video about plant viruses, some have seriously weird characteristics. Like having their genomes split between several capsids. You should also cover virions the smallest pathogens. (Edit I meant to say viroids not virions)

[doctor_owl]

Heyyy I remember this from Tangents! I'm so glad it got an official episode here! We need more plant science! Everyone seems to forget, just because plants don't speak or move quickly, they are just as fascinating as animals!

[Story-Voracious]

I have seen this happen with a Honeysuckle vine when I planted Roquet close by it.
The usual elliptical leaves closest to the Roquet plant started to grow more like Oak leaves.
I wondered at it at the time.
Plants are pretty smart.

[jonathanorlando]

How were fungi not explored as a potential for the shape-shifting ability of Boquila trifoliolata? Mycorrhizal fungi in the PNW have been found in tree canopies after being transported by vining maples. A honey mushroom colony is Northern Oregon is the largest living thing (that we know) and pretty much manages a section of forest. It is pretty fascinating.
Look for the fungi, they are literally everwhere.

[Yora]

The botanical garden in Hamburg has a collection of some 20 examples of Fagus silvatica trees that each have genetic mutations or virus infections that change the development of branches and leaves. They all look like trees of completely different species, but they are all European beeches.

[merrigalebeddoes]

For many years, my parents had a large oak leaf ivy in a hanging pot between their kitchen and dining room. It was usually content to just behave like a regular houseplant. If, however, a dining chair had been left within 4 feet of the kitchen, or anything like a stock pot had been left on the counter nearest the dining room when everyone went to bed, the next morning that plant would have reached over and grabbed it, even wrapping tendrils around it. None of us ever saw it move. What did it do? Wait until it was alone in the dark and start feeling around? Look around to see if anything was within reach? We never did figure it out.

[earthn]

I have had this theory for years - I often find plants growing amidst other plants mimicing those around them to hide. Poison ivy is good at this.

[aksezu]

Oh yes, the way plants adapt and change almost makes you think they are sentient . Even the simple (and evil) dandelion will bloom at different height depending on whether they get mowed or need to reach above tall grasses.

[motiv]

Being an animal and wildlife biologist I have learnt that we really do not know as much as we think and this is another great example of just that! Wow! Mind blown!!! Amazing 👏🏽
Good for you nature 🌎 🌏
P.s. Please keep us folks updated on the research developments. Please please..

[ingad]

Funny enough, I noticed something similar. I am a plant person and have lots of them in my living room. One day I brought in a painting rich in yellows and orange colours and in the next two to three days of putting it near by one of my plants, my plant inexplicably started to turn yellow leaves. I removed the plant to another spot and kept the painting. But in the back of my mind I had this feeling that nothing had changed in my plant other than the fact I placed that painting right next to it.

[jessstuart]

It seems more plausible to me that Boquila has the genes for many different leaf shapes that have evolved to mimic specific plants that grow in the same habitat. Which gene(s) get switched on and which ones get switched off could depend on a multitude of environmental factors (amount of sunlight, temperature, chemical signals from nearby plants, etc).

[georgegividen]

If the animals find out we can shape-shift, they're gonna tell the church.

[rootiris]

Please please please make updates as this plant gets more research