Am J Chin Med. 1997 ; 25(3-4): 253-61.

Experimental evidence of a plant meridian system: V. Acupuncture effect on circumnutation movements of shoots of Phaselus vulgaris L. pole bean.

Hou TZ, Li MD.

Xinjiang Academy of Forestry Science, Urumqi, China.

When the first unifoliolate leaf of Phaselus vulgaris L. cv. Kentucky wonder pole bean was at the expended stage, two needles were inserted into opposite sides of the stem near the unifoliolate bud and left there for the entire experiment. Changes of the period of circumnutation movement at the shoots of Phaselus vulgaris L. pole bean were measured. Results from two separate experiments are reported in this communication. In the first experiment, the mean period of the ultradian rhythms of the horizontal circumnutation movement of shoots was reduced significantly (p = 0.0022) from 124.2 minutes in controls to 116.3 minutes in the treated plants. The average period of the ultradian rhythms of circumnutation movement in the treated and the untreated groups from the second experiments were 96.7 and 132.1, minutes respectively, which was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). This study demonstrates for the first time that acupuncture markedly shortens the period lengths of the ultradian rhythms of circumnutation movement of the shoots of the Phaselus vulgaris L. pole bean.