What advantage would you suggest if the wilted leaves did not recover even during the night?

Question

The leaves of a well watered potted plant were found wilted during a hot sunny day.

Answer 1

One of two things probably happened...either your plant is dying, which i hope it isnt, or its just adapting to the weather.  The more leaves a plant has, the more surface area to catch the sun's rays.  This also means more pores for the escape of water on hot days.  It may just be trying to prevent water loss by lessening the places for the water to escape