Daily Facts: Nyctinasty

Sunday, 15 March 2026

Nyctinasty and Planter Fasciitis

Daisies and many other common flowers often close their petals at night. This is action is known as Nyctinasty; tissues at the base of the flower petal absorb water and swell up, the swelling puts pressure on the base of the petal and pushes it shut.

It is thought they do this to keep condensation off the flower parts and prevent frost damage. It also helps keep nuisance insects off the flower at night. It must be amazing to be a small mite living on a daisy flower and see the flower close and open around you.

Have you ever felt a feeling of pain in the heel of your foot as you take your first steps that fades away. Is the pain usually only in one foot? The chances are you have Planter Fasciitis. The Planter Fascia tissue that connects your heel to your toes can become swollen and push back into the nerve fibres inside your heel tendons.

It's not a serious condition but it can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. The best way to treat the condition is to do foot stretches and to lose weight. Finding more comfortable shoes can also cause a rapid improvement.

The cause of the condition usually stems from the calf muscles in the leg pulling your Achilles tendon for prolonged periods of time causing tightness in the arch of the foot.