Final answer:
The leaves of Oxalis show sleeping movement, known as nyctinasty, which responds to changes in light and is not triggered by touch like thigmonastic movements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of movement shown by the leaves of Oxalis is sleeping movement, which is scientifically known as nyctinasty. Nyctinasty is the response of plants to the onset of darkness (night) or light (day). This type of movement is not the same as thigmonastic movements, which occur in response to touch. Unlike thigmonastic movements, where the direction of growth is independent of the direction of the stimulus, nyctinastic movements are not triggered by touch but by changes in light intensity.
Thigmonastic movements involve a plant responding to touch, exemplified by the closing of leaflets on a lightly touched mimosa leaf. This response is not directional and occurs regardless of the direction of the stimulus. On the other hand, thigmotropism involves a directional growth of a plant in response to constant contact, such as tendrils coiling around a support when they touch it.