nyctitropic

[ nik-ti-trop-ik, -troh-pik ]

adjective

, Botany.

1. tending to assume at or just before nightfall positions unlike those maintained during the day, as the leaves or flowers of certain plants.

Other Words From

• nyc·tit·ro·pism [nik-, ti, -tr, uh, -piz-, uh, m], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nyctitropic¹

First recorded in 1875–80; nycti- + -tropic

Example Sentences

Associated word: nyctitropic. sleepwalker, n. somnambulist, noctambulist, somnambulator, somnambule. sleepwalking, n. somnambulism, somnambulation, somnambulance, noctambulism, noctambulation.

From Project Gutenberg

Ordinary circumnutation is converted into a nyctitropic movement, firstly by an increase in its amplitude, but not to so great a degree as in the case of climbing plants, and secondly by its being rendered periodic in relation to the alternations of day and night.

From Project Gutenberg

There is another difference between the two sets of cases, namely, that there is never, or very rarely, any torsion of the leaves, excepting when a pulvinus is present;* but this statement applies only to periodic and nyctitropic movements as may be inferred from other cases given by Frank.**

From Project Gutenberg

It deserves notice that seedlings of this and the last-named species were raised at the end of February and another lot in the middle of March, and the cotyledons in neither case exhibited any nyctitropic movement.

From Project Gutenberg

It should be premised that the nyctitropic movements of leaves are easily affected by the conditions to which the plants have been subjected.

From Project Gutenberg