Pinguicula hemiepiphytica

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Pinguicula hemiepiphytica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lentibulariaceae
Genus: Pinguicula
Species:
P. hemiepiphytica
Binomial name
Pinguicula hemiepiphytica
Zamudio & Rzed.

Pinguicula hemiepiphytica is a tropical carnivorous plant species native to the cloud forests of Oaxaca, Mexico. It was first identified in 1991 and is one of the few epiphytic species in the genus.

Description[edit]

Pinguicula hemiepiphytica is an 8–20 cm tall, carnivorous plant that grows on rocks or trees.[1]

There are two forms, distinguished by leaf type. In both forms, the leaves are arranged in dense whorls around the base of the stem.[2] The summer form of the plant has 4 to 12 nearly circular leaves that serve to catch small insects.[1] The leaves are covered in mucus, making the leaf surface sticky.[2] When an insect is caught, it triggers the secretion of digestive enzymes.[1] Leaf color is light green to purplish-pink.[1][3] The winter form of the plant has far more leaves than the summer form, but the leaves are shorter and narrower.[1] All glands are absent, so this form is not able to trap or digest insects.[1][2] The leaves are light green.[1]

During the summer months, individuals bear up to three solitary flowers.[1] Flowers are perfect, bilaterally symmetrical, have a five lobed corolla, and are purple to pink in color.[1][4] The corolla tube extends beyond the flower's point of attachment to the stem, forming a spur.[1][4]

Ecology[edit]

Pinguicula hemiepiphytica has only been documented in the cloud forests of Sierra de Juarez, Mexico, although it is suspected to exist in neighboring areas with a similar environment.[1] Its habitat is very wet, and they typically grow with colonies of mosses.[1] The long spur of the flower is a trait that Pinguicula species pollinated by butterflies, moths, and birds have in common.[5] The species is believed to be hummingbird pollinated, given the length of the floral spur.[6] It has been found that species in this group do not offer food rewards in their floral trichomes to pollinators.[5] Like most Pinguicula, they can also self-pollinate and reproduce vegetatively.[2]

Carnivory in plants is an adaptation for nutrient acquisition in nutrient poor soils.[7] The roots mainly serve to adhere the plant to its substrate and absorb water.[2] Growing on a vertical surface exposes the plant to more sunlight, and water that runs down the sides of the trees and rocks they are growing on.[1][2]

Uses[edit]

The term “pinguis” is Latin for “grease”, which suits this genus that uses its sticky and greasy leaves to trap prey.[8] This adaptation can be employed by plant collectors to control fungus gnat populations [9][10]

Pinguicula hemiepiphytica is most commonly cultivated for use in the nursery trade. Mexican Pinguicula are popular for being relatively easy to grow; P. hemiepiphytica is cultivated and sometimes hybridized with other species for sale to hobbyists.[11][12][13][14] Biological resource use is also associated with this species; 22% of Pinguicula species are illegally poached and traded for biological uses that are rarely medicinal or pharmaceutical [7]

In Oaxaca, Mexico where these species are native, the Zapotec use P. moranensis to treat “culture-bound syndromes'', including “mal de ojo” and “susto”.[15][16] Until 1991, P. hemiepiphytica was considered to be a variety of P. moranensis because of their similar morphologies and range; it's possible that both species are used by the Zapotec[1][15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Zamudio, Sergio; Rzedowski, Jerzy (April 1991). "Dos especies nuevas de Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) del estado de Oaxaca, México". Acta Botanica Mexicana (14): 23–32. doi:10.21829/abm14.1991.612. ISSN 0187-7151.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Legendre, Laurent (January 2000). "The genusPinguiculaL. (Lentibulariaceae): an overview". Acta Botanica Gallica. 147 (1): 77–95. Bibcode:2000AcBG..147...77L. doi:10.1080/12538078.2000.10515837. ISSN 1253-8078.
  3. ^ "Oliver Gluchs Homepage der Fleischfressenden Pflanzen - Pinguicula hemiepiphytica". www.gluch.info. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  4. ^ a b "Oliver Gluchs Homepage der Fleischfressenden Pflanzen - Pinguicula hemiepiphytica". www.gluch.info. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  5. ^ a b Lustofin, Krzysztof; Świątek, Piotr; Stolarczyk, Piotr; Miranda, Vitor F O; Płachno, Bartosz J (2020-06-27). "Do food trichomes occur in Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) flowers?". Annals of Botany. 126 (6): 1039–1048. doi:10.1093/aob/mcaa123. ISSN 0305-7364. PMC 7596368. PMID 32592586.
  6. ^ Lampard, Stan (2016). Pinguicula of Latin America. Robinson, Alastair,, Companion volume to (work): Roccia, Aymeric. Poole, Dorset, England. ISBN 978-1-908787-15-6. OCLC 945919116.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ a b Cross, Adam T.; Krueger, Thilo A.; Gonella, Paulo M.; Robinson, Alastair S.; Fleischmann, Andreas S. (December 2020). "Conservation of carnivorous plants in the age of extinction". Global Ecology and Conservation. 24: e01272. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01272. hdl:20.500.11937/84611. ISSN 2351-9894.
  8. ^ Carrasco, E.R.R. (2004). Revisión sobre las especies Drosera rotundifolia y Pinguicula vulgaris, y su acción coagulante en la leche (Doctoral dissertation, Universidad Austral de Chile).
  9. ^ "Gnats, be gone! | Alys Fowler". the Guardian. 2016-08-13. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  10. ^ "How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats". Fieldnotes by Studioplants. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  11. ^ "Butterwort (Pinguicula)". Carnivorous Plant Resource. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  12. ^ "Pinguicula hemiepiphytica x rotundifolia – size M, 0.5in+". Little Green Monsters. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  13. ^ "PINGUICULA HEMIEPIPHYTICA, Oaxaca". Heldros. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  14. ^ "BUTTERWORT (Mexican): Pinguicula Hemiepiphytica loc Mexico". Cultivo Carnivores. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  15. ^ a b Pérez-Nicolás, Mónica; Vibrans, Heike; Romero-Manzanares, Angélica; Saynes-Vásquez, Alfredo; Luna-Cavazos, Mario; Flores-Cruz, María; Lira-Saade, Rafael (2017-09-01). "Patterns of Knowledge and Use of Medicinal Plants in Santiago Camotlán, Oaxaca, Mexico". Economic Botany. 71 (3): 209–223. doi:10.1007/s12231-017-9384-0. ISSN 1874-9364. S2CID 255551239.
  16. ^ Pérez-Nicolás, Mónica; Vibrans, Heike; Romero-Manzanares, Angélica (2018-06-19). "Can the use of medicinal plants motivate forest conservation in the humid mountains of Northern Oaxaca, Mexico?". Botanical Sciences. 96 (2): 267. doi:10.17129/botsci.1862. ISSN 2007-4476.
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