the.com/bean tendrils
the plant's way of grabbing life by both hands and never letting go.
means thin coiling shoots that beans grow instead of stiff stems, letting them climb anything they touch.
from a bean tendril is actually a modified leaf or leaflet that lost its flat blade job and became a sensing, coiling rope, evolved so climbing plants could skip building thick self-supporting stalks and just mooch off sturdier neighbors.
touch responsecan start coiling within minutes of contact
direction switchoften coils opposite ways on either end
speedsome tendrils complete a full loop in under an hour
edible bonuspea tendrils are a prized salad green
for instance
sweet pea tendrils — climb trellises using leaflets turned to coiling wire
snap pea shoots — sold fresh in asian markets for stir-fries
runner bean vines — famous for wrapping garden canes counterclockwise
darwin's tendril study — charles darwin timed pea tendril coiling in 1865