To roll or not to roll: nyctinastic behavior in young leaves of sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera.

Foliar nyctinasty refers to the daily rhythm in leaf orientation that occurs in evolutionarily diverse taxa. Traditionally, two mechanisms have been identified for the sleep movement of leaves, namely pulvinar and non-pulvinar. Here, we report upon some novel aspects of the nyctinastic behavior of leaves of the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.