telegraph plant

noun

1. a tick trefoil, Desmodium motorium, of the legume family, native to tropical Asia, noted for the spontaneous, jerking, signallike motions of its leaflets.

telegraph plant

noun

1. a small tropical Asian leguminous shrub, Desmodium gyrans, having small leaflets that turn in various directions during the day and droop at night

Word History and Origins

Origin of telegraph plant¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Portion of stem and leaves of Telegraph-plant (Desmodium gyrans), almost of natural size.

From Project Gutenberg

I have found identical antagonistic reactions in the pulsating tissue of Desmodium gyrans, the telegraph plant.

From Project Gutenberg