Kasviolennot

Kasviolennot is a term used in speculative biology and science fiction to describe life forms that are primarily plant-based yet exhibit traits commonly associated with animals or intelligent beings. The concept explores possibilities of organisms whose bodies are built from photosynthetic tissues and cellulose-based structures, yet that display mobility, sensory perception, or other characteristics traditionally linked to animals. In many depictions, kasviolennot form symbiotic relationships with fungi or microorganisms and communicate through chemical signals or other non-sound-based means.

In taxonomy, kasviolennot are not recognized as a real clade; they are a theoretical or fictional construct and may appear in worldbuilding, fiction, or philosophical discussions about life definitions, intelligence, and the limits of plant biology. Common themes include plant camouflage, modes of movement driven by turgor changes or hydrostatic pressure, and networks analogous to mycelial communication.

Relation to real science: while real plants show remarkable adaptive behavior, signaling, and even memory-like responses in some contexts, there is no evidence of plant-based organisms with animal-style nervous systems or sentience. Scientists study plant signaling, photosynthesis, root systems, and plant microbiomes to understand complex interactions in ecosystems. Kasviolennot are therefore best understood as a conceptual tool to examine alternative life strategies and to question anthropocentric views of intelligence.

See also: plant intelligence, xenobiology, speculative evolution, science fiction worlds.