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Off Topic: Stem Hair Motion on Erigeron. Nerd alert!


Andrea B.

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I had to show everyone this even though most folks are not into botany. It's cool.

Well, I am a nerd, so my definition of coolth may not match the norm. But anyway.

 

Way back in summer of 14, I was photographing the stem of an Erigeron annuus for identification purposes. When I reviewed the photos today, I noticed that as I was shooting some of the little stem hairs were moving. This shoot was indoors so there were no wind or breezes. Granted, there are micro-currents of air indoors. But the motion is confined to only a few hairs. There is no evidence of an air current, micro or otherwise. At least, I don't think there is.

 

Plants are always reacting to their surroundings. It is not at all uncommon when shooting a flower outdoors to capture its heliotropism within just a very short interval of shooting. This can make for some fun if the photographer is attempting to shoot sequences in order to later stack matching photographs.

 

It could be that the moving stem hairs were simply freeing themselves from having been trapped under other stem hairs? Or that the stem hairs were reacting to the light of the flash? Or perhaps the stem hairs just felt like having a good stretch?

 

Comments welcomed on this one. Why did the stem hairs move?

 

The left white arrow shows the base of the hair which will move upward in the 4th frame.

The red x means don't pay attention to that hair. It's not the one which will move in that area.

The black and yellow arrows are fixed throughout the frames to better see the relative motion of the hair to which they point.

 

02:03:30

erigeronAnnuusStem_visFlash_20140711_shoreCottageSwhME_21380pn01.jpg

02:03:38

erigeronAnnuusStem_visFlash_20140711_shoreCottageSwhME_21382pn01.jpg

02:03:45

erigeronAnnuusStem_visFlash_20140711_shoreCottageSwhME_21384pn01.jpg

02:03:56

erigeronAnnuusStem_visFlash_20140711_shoreCottageSwhME_21386pn01.jpg

02:04:09

erigeronAnnuusStem_visFlash_20140711_shoreCottageSwhME_21388pn01.jpg

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They "move" outwards from the stem. That could be caused by a change in turgor brought about by drying-out?
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That sounds like it could be the answer! This was a cut flower which was temporarily out of its flower vase of water.

Thanks!

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