How plant ‘muscles’ fold up a mimosa leaf fast

Specially shaped cells work like motors to close mimosa leaflets like a book

A photo of a small hand reaching out with an index finger to touch the long green leaf of a plant near the ground.

A plant’s version of muscles does the lifting and pushing that shuts a Mimosa pudica plant leaf like a book when touched, perhaps as defense against danger. Now scientists are looking at how structural details of the musclelike cells enhance the plant's folding abilities.

Ole_CNX/istock/getty images plus

Call them plant motors.