TOUCH ME NOT – New Flower Discovered in Tibet

The recently discovered “Touch Me Not” is not a creeping plant found in India and many other parts of the world whose leaves fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, defending themselves from harm, and re-open a few minutes later. It is a beautiful, coloured flower found in Tibet by scientists. Four species of Gentiana have been discovered on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau whose flowers can close within seconds of being touched, making them the most sensitive flowers in the world, according to a recently published study.

“It was startling to witness with the naked eye. The flowers disappeared momentarily in front of you,” said Dai Can, a professor at Hubei University’s School of Resources and Environmental Science, one of the scientists who led the study. After visiting more than 20 sites, they found four species of Gentiana that exhibit such movements: G. pseudo aquatica; G. prostrata var. karelinii; G. clarkei, and an unidentified gentian species. The flowers were discovered near a lake in Nagchu, Tibet autonomous region. The discoveries were made recently during the ongoing second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research mission, which began earlier.