Amorphophallus Titanum

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Amorphophallus titanum May 24, 2021 In news- Recently in San Francisco’s Bay Area a corpse flower bloomed. About the corpse flower- The ‘corpse flower’ is a flowering plant, which is native to the rainforests of Sumatra in Indonesia. The flower is known for its putrid smell, which is often compared to that of rotting flesh. Its scientific name is ‘Amorphophallus titanum’. The ultra-rare plant is known to bloom only once every seven to ten years. The flower is also considered to be one of the world’s largest ‘unbranched inflorescence’ or a stalk bearing a cluster of flowers. The average corpse flower has a lifespan of about 30-40 years. Its saplings have been cultivated in zoos, botanical gardens and greenhouses around the world. It can grow to be up to 10 feet tall and unveil two of its key components – a deep red skirt-like petal known as the ‘spathe’ and a yellow rod-like ‘spadix’. The ‘corm’, a fleshy underground plant stem, acts as a storage organ where the corpse plant’s energy is stored. The unique plant is said to have the biggest corm in existence, sometimes weighing around 100 kgs. The main odorant which gives the flower its distinct smell is dimethyl trisulfide, the same compound that is emitted from cancerous wounds, microorganisms and some vegetables. The stench is also caused by chemicals likedimethyl disulfide and methyl thioacetate, which are responsible for the garlic and cheese-like odour, as well as isovaleric acid, which gives the flower its sweat-like smell. The flowers of the plant are pollinated by scavenging insects, which are drawn to it due to its odour, hence it is also known as a Carrion flower. It was listed as an endangered plant in 2018 by the IUCN. It is not easy to preserve the corpse flower outside its natural habitat as it requires a very specific level of heat and humidity to thrive. The seeds of the plant known as recalcitrant seeds are not easy to store either as drying and freezing – the main methods to store seeds will kill them..

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Monocotyledons 2 Revised 04 May 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS MONOCOTYLEDONS BACK TO TOP JUNCAGINACEAE Triglochin Uvularia LEMNACEAE Lemna Veratrum Spirodela Zigadenus LILIACEAE Allium ORCHIDACEAE Aplectrum Asparagus Calopogon Camassia Corallorhiza Clintonia Cypripedium Convallaria Goodyera Erythronium Habenaria Hemerocallis Liparis Lilium Malaxis Maianthemum Orchis Melanthium Spiranthes Nothoscordum Triphora Ornithogalum PONTEDERIACEAE Pontederia Polygonatum POTAMOGETONACEAE Potamogeton Smilacina Zannichellia Smilax SPARGANIACEAE Sparganium Streptopus TYPHACEAE Typha Trillium XYRIDACEAE Xyris JUNCAGINACEAE LC Richard 1808 ARROWGRASS FAMILY Juncaginaceae Juncagina'ceae (yun-kag-in- AY-see-ee) plants of the Arrow-grass family, modern Latin Juncagine-æ, from Juncāgo, from juncus rush, Tournefort's original name for the type genus of the family, now Triglochin. TRIGLOCHIN Linnaeus 1753 ARROW GRASS Juncaginaceae Triglochin from the Greek treis, three & γλωχις, glochis, for the pointed follicles of T palustris. About a dozen spp of perennial herbs in North America (4), the Mediterranean, & Australasia. Linnaeus published the genus name as neuter, but the root γλωχις, glokhis, is feminine. The fruits have been variously classified, including schizocarps with 3 or 6, 1 seeded mericarps. (Haynes & Hellquist fna) X = 6. The 2 spp in Illinois have a very curious distribution. Triglochin maritima Linnaeus *IL, IA, NJ, OH ARROW-GRASS, aka COMMON BOG ARROW GRASS, DOPPEL-DREIZACK (G), HAVSSÄLTING (SW), SEA ARROW-GRASS, SEASIDE ARROWGRASS, TROSCART MARITIME (FC), (maritimus -a -um, maritime, of the sea) obl Habitat: Pond edges & pannes, sandy shores, swamps, & wet ditches; brackish or fresh marshes & bogs. “Coastal & mountain marsh areas & moist alkaline meadows; 0--4000 m” (Haynes & Hellquist in fna). distribution/range: Rare in Illinois, Cook, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Peoria, & Tazewell cos. Illinois is at the southern margin of this sp range.
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Draft Orbea Variegata Fsheet
DECLARED PLANT Carrion flower Orbea variegata January 2015 Carrion flower is a succulent, prostrate herb with 4-angled toothed stems, and a striking purple and cream, starfish-shaped flower. Its name is derived from the putrid stench of the flowers, which attracts flies that assist in pollination. It has been grown as a tough garden ornamental. Carrion flower is now declared under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004, with prohibition on its sale and movement, and enforced control in the Alinytjara Wilurara and Eyre Peninsula NRM regions. Other common names: toad cactus Family: Apocynaceae Synonyms: Stapelia variegata, Stisseria variegata. Origin: Southern Africa, particularly the south-western Cape Province WHY IS IT A PROBLEM? Carrion flower poses a threat to arid regions. invades chenopod shrublands (bluebush and saltbush) associated with decline and death of shrubs and exclusion of ground layer herbs and grasses spreads efficiently by wind-borne seed and movement of fragments DESCRIPTION Habit: succulent herb with thick, sprawling, succulent stems to 15-25 cm long x 1-2 cm wide, grey-green becoming purplish when exposed to bright sun. Leaves: represented by conical teeth along the stems. Flowers: five-lobed, shaped like starfish, 5-7 cm across with creamy yellowish-green background covered in purple to purplish-brown splotches. Flowering time - late summer to autumn. Fruit: A pair of cylindrical pods from each flower, splitting open to release a fluffy seeds. HOW IT SPREADS The outer sheath of the fruit peels back to expose a mass of seeds, each with a tuft of hair awaiting wind dispersal. Carrion flower can also spread vegetatively via stem fragments moved by people, machinery, animals or water.
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male wasps so enamored of this orchid? The traditional an- swer has been that the shape of the orchid’s largest petal and 38 the frill of orange bristles around it vaguely resemble the fe- male wasp. These visual cues, however, are only part of the deception: Ophrys orchids also emit chemicals with a scent similar to that produced by sexually receptive female wasps. This orchid and its wasp pollinators are one example of Angiosperm the amazing ways in which angiosperms (flowering plants) reproduce sexually with spatially distant members of their Reproduction own species. Sex, however, is not their only means of repro- duction. Many species also reproduce asexually, creating off- and Biotechnology spring that are genetically identical to the parent. An unusual aspect of the orchid and wasp example is that the insect does not profit from interacting with the flower. In fact, by wasting time and energy, the wasp is probably rendered less fit. More typically, a plant lures an animal pollinator to its flowers not with offers of sex but with rewards of energy-rich nectar or pollen. Thus, both plant and pollinator benefit; that is, the relationship is mutually beneficial. Participating in such beneficial relationships with other organisms is very common in the plant kingdom. In fact, in recent evolutionary times, some flowering plants have formed relationships with an ani- mal that not only disperses their seeds but also provides the plants with water and mineral nutrients and vigorously pro- tects them from encroaching competitors, pathogens, and predators. In return for these favors, the animal typically gets to eat a fraction of the plants’ seeds and fruits.
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NEWSLETTER Issue #7 • September 10, 2013
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