By IgnoranceIsntBlisss on ATS
The Spiderwort flower is a category of ‘survival plant’ all of its own. When radiation levels are dangerous to roughly human standards, the blue/purple stamen hairs in the center of the flower change color to pink. And it grows hardy.
Several species of the New World Tradescantia genus exhibit this feat. The stamen hairs are one of the few tissues known to serve as an effective bioassay for ambient radiation levels. This could be an easy solution to some of Japans problems that they could really use with all that they face.
This plant has water-dense roots. They are soft roots, but the plant survives as if it has a solid bulb. It can die back to the ground for extended periods, yet spring right back up with water. It’s likely that it would be one of the first plants to regrow after a semi-direct nuclear bomb aftermath, both that would spout and set abundant seeds.
The Japanese government could plant this all throughout areas known or suspected to be hotspots. These plants aren’t concerned with being watered by humans in order to survive. Imagine all the places in the world stricken with decades old landmines, if only the peoples there had such a hope of a natural endemic ubiqiutous warning system. Being rooted in the ground, and propped up into the air, it seems obvious its detection abilities would cover both planes, although I am not certain.