Skototropism is a directional growth response in which a plant organ grows toward darkness rather than toward light. It is most famously observed in the juvenile shoots of some climbing plants and vines, which grow toward dark vertical objects such as tree trunks before attaching and climbing into brighter light.
Negative phototropism and skototropism are related but not always identical concepts. Negative phototropism describes growth away from a light source, whereas skototropism refers specifically to growth toward dark areas. Although the behaviour has been documented in several climbing species, its underlying mechanisms and prevalence remain subjects of ongoing research.
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