It looks like a common grass variety, but its reaction to different stimuli has attracted the attention of scientists at the Sri Venkateswara University (SVU).
‘Pandimullu’ (Aristida paniculata) is a bristled grass akin to what is used in household broomsticks. When dipped in water, it rotates 360 degrees clockwise. When exposed to heat, it rotates anti-clockwise.
It also responds similarly when exposed to blood, urine, acid, base and petrol. While the touch-me-not plant ( Mimosa pudica ) and sunflower also have sensory properties, this grass retains its sensory properties up to two years after it is plucked.
The discovery was made not by an acclaimed biologist, but by a hobby botanist, Galla Chandrasekhar of Karakollu village in Thottambedu mandal of Chittoor district. He and his band of friends -- B. Chiranjeevulu Naidu, D. Bathi Naidu, G.Bhaskar, B. Murali, P. Venkateswarlu, P.Sivaiah and G.Sridhar – fancy themselves as ‘rural scientists’ who explore the woods around Tirupati for plant species and new applications of known plants.
Chandrasekhar is a post-graduate in philosophy, but retains an interest in science. His study on ‘Herbal preparation for controlling nematode and other pests’ fetched him an award from the National Innovation Foundation, which he received from NIF chairman R.A. Mashelkar at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2013.
When tested with high-tech gadgets in the SVU labs, the grass displayed peculiar properties. “It acts as a biosensor that can gauge changes in temperature and the acidic/basic nature of solvents. While other plants move in a single direction, its multidirectional movement can be put to use,” says Prof D.V.R. Saigopal of the DST-PURSE (Department of Science and Technology - Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence) centre at SVU.
