Mechanical Properties of the Coiled Tendrils of Climbing Plants(Student Poster Session)

Abstract

Some plants whose stems lack the strengthening tissues to maintain them in an upright position support themselves by means of thin appendages called tendrils that grasp onto objects they encounter. The tendrils of some species coil after tactile simulation and form spirals. The spirals have reverse spiraling points where the spiral direction is reversed. This differs from normal spiral springs used in the field of industry. This study deals with the observation of the formation of tendril spiraling using a video camera, and the evaluation of the mechanical properties of coiled tendrils of various species using tension tests and finite-element analysis. The results revealed that reverse spiraling points play an important role in forming tendril spirals, and the spring constants, which were obtained as the values of tensile loads divided by the elongations of a tendril, varied with the increase of the elongation of spirals.