Codariocalyx motorius ෴ ප්‍රාණජීව

  

Codariocalyx motorius, known as the telegraph plant, dancing plant is a tropical Asian shrub, one of a few plants capable of rapid movement. It is widely distributed throughout Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India. This plant has small, lateral leaflets which move at speeds rapid enough to be perceivable with the naked eye. Due to its special characteristic that it can "dance", the plant has been used as ornament in gardening, in which some are made as bonsais. It has traditionally been used in Chinese Medicine to treat various ailments such as rheumatism, cough, malaria, pyrexia, dysentery, hepatitis, haemoptysis, etc. 

• Common Name In Sri Lanka: Pranajeewa (ප්‍රාණජීව)
• Scientific Name: Codariocalyx motorius
• Habitat: Widely cultivated, sometimes runs wild
• Average Height: Up to 1.8 meters

Codariocalyx motorius is part of the catalog of ayurvedic medicinal plants of Sri Lanka.