a) Light Intensity Affects Plant Movement

Light is one of the important growth factors for green leafy plants. When the
amount of light intensity received by the plant is too small, the plants cannot grow
normally. For normal flowering, plants need sunlight intensity which should not be
lower than a certain value limit. In plant growth towards reproduction, light is not
only needed for flower formation, but also for fruit growth so that ripe fruit can be
obtained. The need for light for flowering is not the same for various types of plants.
Plant movement is a response of plants to environmental signals. The movements
of various organs in response to light are widespread among plants (Darwin, 1881).
Some plant movements are caused in response to certain to certain stimuli and they
are said to be induced or plant movement which take place spontaneously, without
any irritability and sensitivity of protoplasm. Many flowers open during the day and
close during night or cloudy sky. These movements are induced by fluctuations in the
intensity of light such movements are exhibited by flowers of several plants. Many
flowers open with the increasing illumination of the day and close up with the
decrease in light intensity, one of them is the opening and closing of nine o’clock
flower

b) Moss Rose or Nine O’clock Flower (Portulaca Grandiflora)

Moss rose, Portulaca grandiflora, is a drought and heat tolerant annual
native to hot. This herbaceous plant in the purslane family (Portulacaceae) is
cultivated throughout the world as a garden annual for its showy flowers that bloom
all summer long with little care. Moss rose is a semi-succulent plant that stores water
in its fleshy leaves and stems.The bright green leaves are oblong to cylindrical with
pointed tips. They are up to an inch long and are arranged alternately or in small
clusters along the reddish, multi-branched prostrate to slightly ascending stems.The
stems can be somewhat fragile and break easily (although broken pieces will root if
the soil is moist enough). The low-growing plants form a mat up to a foot across and 3
to 8 inches high arising from the central fibrous root system.
Figure 2. Succulent leaves of Portulaca grandiflora Figure 3. Fibrous root of Portulaca grandiflora

The saucer-shaped, rose-like flowers are produced on the stem tips, held
facing up above the foliage, opening from buds that resemble little popcorn kernels.
They are only open in bright sunlight, closing at night and on cloudy days, but most of
the newer hybrids will remain open throughout the day. When open the flowers can
nearly hide the foliage. Flowers come in white and a wide range of warm colors,
including pink, peach, yellow, orange, red, fuchsia, magenta, lavender and purple.
Each flower has 5 paper thin petals, although semi-double and double types have been
developed with multiple sets of petals. The petals surround a group of 40 or more
stamens and 5 to 8 stigmas in the center. Depending on the variety, flowers can be 1-3
inches across. After pollination, rounded 1/8-1/4 inch diameter seed capsules develop.
When ripe, they split open, spilling numerous tiny, rounded to elongate, iridescent
blue-grey seeds from the each capsule. Moss rose often reseeds. The seeds are edible
raw or cooked.

Figure 4. Flower of Portulaca grandiflora Figure 4. Seed capsule are filled with tiny blackseeds

Ornamental plants from the Portulacaceae family are easy to grow in the lowlands
to an area of 1,400 meters above sea level. Portulaka flowers include flowers that are
easy to maintain and do not require a lot of water. This plant propagation can use leaf
cuttings or even use seeds. This Bombay Silk Plant can be ground cover or planted in
pots. (Anief, 2000: 13)
Anief

Darwin

Mahr,Susan. 2013. Moss Rose, Portulaca grandiflora. University of Wisconsin-Extension.