Boquila

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Boquila
Boquila trifoliolata (Valdivia, Chili).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Lardizabalaceae
Genus: Boquila
Decne.
Species:
B. trifoliolata
Binomial name
Boquila trifoliolata
Synonyms [1]
  • Boquila discolor(Kunze ex Poepp. & Endl.) Decne.
  • Dolichos funarius(Molina)
  • Lardizabala funaria(Looser)
  • Lardizabala trifoliolataDC.

Boquila is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lardizabalaceae, endemic to temperate forests of central and southern Chile and Argentina. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Boquila trifoliolata, locally known as voqui blanco or pilpil in its native range, [2] and sometimes referred as the chameleon vine since a recent report on leaf mimicry. The species was first described in 1782 by Juan Ignacio Molina, and the genus itself was established in 1839 by Joseph Decaisne. B. trifoliata forms non-parasitic vines that wind around host plants, using them for structure and protection. B. trifoliata is monoecious, and its flowers are an off white color. It bears an edible fruit and has been historically used in rope and basket making.

Contents

B. trifoliata is the only known plant species reported to engage in mimetic polymorphism, or the ability to mimic multiple host species, often simultaneously. This is a form of Batesian mimicry, when a harmless species mimics a harmful one to ward off predators. Contact between the vines and host trees was reported not to be necessary for mimicking to commence. However, after a decade of the original study describing the species mimicry capabilities in 2014, no independent research groups have verified the field observations and the mechanism by which this mimicry would occur is still unknown. Hypotheses about the mimicry mechanism include microbial mediated horizontal gene transfer, volatile organic compound sensing, and the use of eye-like structures.

Taxonomy and etymology

Boquila is a monotypic genus of flowering plants (angiosperms) in the family Lardizabalaceae with one known species, Boquila trifoliolata. [3] [4] The species was first described as Dolichosfunarius in 1782 by Juan Ignacio Molina, and in 1817, the holotype Lardizabalatrifoliolata was named by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. [5] [6] In 1838, Stephan Endlicher, Eduard Friedrich Poeppig, and Gustav Kunze proposed the name Lardizabaladiscolor. In between 1837 to 1839, Joseph Decaisne identified Boquilatrifoliolata and Boquiladiscolor, and established the Boquila genus in 1837. [7] The name Boquiladiscolor was later declared a orthographic variant. In 1936, Gualterio Looser attempted to reclassify the species to Lardizabalafunaria based upon the observations of Carlo Giuseppe Bertero, but this classification is not considered valid. [8] [9]

Due to its mimicry capabilities, Boquila trifoliolata is sometimes referred to as the chameleon vine. [10] [11] [12]

Description

Illustration of Boquila trifoliolata by Pierre Jean Francois Turpin Boquila trifoliolata.jpg
Illustration of Boquila trifoliolata by Pierre Jean François Turpin
Interior cross-section of the Boquila trifoliolata flower Boquila trifoliolata (Parque Nacional Puyehue, Chili) 2.jpg
Interior cross-section of the Boquila trifoliolata flower

Boquila trifoliolata is a woody vine with a highly variable appearance due to its crypsis abilities. [4] The vines are evergreen or partly deciduous, meaning they largely retain their leaves over winter. [13] The vines follow a twining pattern when climbing host plants, meaning the stems bend around host plants during their ascent. [14] The branches are thin, less than 1 cm (0.39 in) in diameter, and are covered in red-brown bark. The lenticels are elliptical in shape, and the wider branches are a speckled grey color. [13] When not mimicking a host plant, B. trifoliata employs smaller 'charlatan leaves' that are short, stubby, and have three lobes (trifoliate). [4] The petioles range from 2 cm (0.79 in) to 6 cm (2.4 in) in length and the petiolules range from 0.5 cm (0.20 in) to 1.5 cm (0.59 in) in length. Leaflets are oval or elliptical and range from 2 cm (0.79 in) to 6 cm (2.4 in) in height and 1 cm (0.39 in) to 3 cm (1.2 in) in width. The base of the leaves is rounded, the margins are irregular (most often trilobate), the tips are rounded and wide-angled, the top of the leaves are dark green and hairless, the undersides are glaucous (pale-grey to blue-green), and the veins have a pinnate pattern. [15] [13]

Reproduction

In its natural habitat, flowering occurs between September and December, while fruiting occurs between January and March. This pattern is opposite when the plant is raised in the Northern Hemisphere. [13] B. trifoliata is monoecious, meaning that both male and female floral parts are present in the same plant. [13] The petals are small (1.5 cm (0.59 in) to 3 cm (1.2 in) in length) and have a green-white to yellow-white color. These flowers tend to be in 2- to 4-flower umbels with small hairs and lepidote bracts along the petals. Each flower has six sepals, and are biserate, petaloid, ovate, and the three inner sepals are larger than the outer ones. Staminate flowers (male flowers) have six stamens, petals in an opposite pattern, and anthers are oblate. Carpellate flowers (female flowers) have six conical staminodes, three carpels, an elongated stigma, and sutures running vertically up the petals. [15] [13]

The fruits are small, ranging from 0.5 cm (0.20 in) to 1 cm (0.39 in) in diameter, and white. There are typically 1-4 seeds per berry, ranging from 2.5 mm (0.098 in) to 5 mm (0.20 in). The seeds are oval, brown, and contain large amounts of endosperm. [13] Seeds are largely dispersed via animal vectors and readily germinate when planted. [15] [16]

Mimicry

Boquila trifoliolata is the only plant known to engage in mimetic polymorphism, meaning it can mimic the leaves of multiple host plants. [4] [17] Other species of vines are capable of limited crypsis for one host species, but B. trifoliata is notable since it can mimic the leaves of multiple species, with one vine capable of simultaneously mimicking multiple hosts. Mimetic polymorphism is only observed elsewhere in some species of butterflies, but that is the result of genetic divergence, unlike B. trifoliata which engages in rapid changes in leaf morphology. [4]

Once the vines approach a host tree's branches, the leaves begin to change their size, shape, color, vein patterns, spines, and orientation to match the host plant; sometimes expanding to 10x their original size. [4] B. trifoliata has been observed mimicking over 20 different species of plants. [18] These include native species such as Luma apiculata , Cissus striata , and Rhaphithamnus spinosus but also non-native species such as Ranunculus repens . [19]

Unlike most other mimicking species, close proximity is enough to induce mimicry and contact is not required. [4] In one controversial study, B. trifoliata has been noted to mimic the leaves of plastic plants. [20] If the vines approach another tree, the vine begins simultaneously mimicking that species as well. [4] Mimicry is largely confined to the leaves closest to the host, meaning that sections of the vine approximately 60 cm (24 in) away from the host retain the non-mimicking phenotype. [21] This is a form of Batesian mimicry, where the B. trifoliata is harmless but resembles a less palatable or harmful plant to ward off herbivory species and pests. [22] [23] [4]

Possible explanations

The exact mechanism by which mimicry occurs is not well understood but may involve chemical, odor, genetic, metagenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, epigenetic, and/or microbial cues to identify and mimic the species it is attached to. [21] [4]

Volatile organic compounds

Plant ecologist Ernesto Gianoli proposed that the host tree may be emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the environment that B. trifoliata can detect. [4] The use of VOC-mediated plant-to-plant communication is widely employed in non-specific biological processes, including up-regulation of defense-related genes, and could explain why no contact is necessary for mimicry. Criticisms of this hypothesis are that this would mark the first time that VOCs were used to change plant morphology, and that B. trifoliata's mimicry has a level of specificity that is not normally seen with VOC-mediated responses. [21]

Horizontal gene transfer

Another hypothesis proposed by Gianoli is that B. trifoliata's mimicry is mediated by endophytic microbes that conduct horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between B. trifoliata and the host plant. This would influence the genes, transposons, and/or epigenetics of the plant's leaves, identifying the host and changing the leaf's morphology without necessitating physical contact. [19] [24] In a 2021 study, Gianoli found that the microbiomes of B. trifoliata and its host plant show significant overlap following the initiation of mimicry. Gianoli has argued this could represent a mechanism behind B. trifoliata's mimicry but still acknowledged that there are limitations to this hypothesis. While HGT commonly occurs between different species, it takes many years and manifests in discrete events. Additionally, HGT between plants is most commonly observed in cases of parasitism, which B. trifoliata does not engage in. [19]

Ocelli

In a 2021 study published in the journal Plant Signaling & Behavior, Felipe Yamashita and Jacob White claimed that B. trifoliata may employ a primitive form of vision to identify and mimic their hosts. This hypothesis is based upon 1905 and 1907 claims by Gottlieb Haberlandt and Francis Darwin, respectively, that some plants use 'ocelli' or lens-like cells to focus light onto other light sensitive cells. In this study, B. trifoliata was observed mimicking the leaf shapes of plastic plants, and researchers refined Haberlandt and Darwin's ocelli hypothesis, claiming that B. trifoliata may be using convex shaped lenses in epidermal tissue that can detect light and "see" the shapes of nearby leaves. [25] They further proposed that, B. trifoliata processes that information through an unknown means, possibly through neuron-like structures in order to initiate mimicry. [18] [24] The study also found that non-mimetic leaves have more free-end veinlets and identified the hormone auxin as a possible mediator in changes to leaf morphology. [25]

This paper received substantial media coverage, was praised by F1000's Faculty Opinions, and went viral on the social media platform TikTok following its release. Plant biologist and Plant Signaling and Behavior's editor-in-chief, František Baluška praised this hypothesis, and claimed that root skototropism and photoreceptive cells in algae were analogous mechanisms for "plant sight". However, the paper's conclusions have largely been met with skepticism by scientists. Criticisms of the paper include poor methodology, White's lack of a scientific background, and possible conflicts of interest between Baluška and Yamashita. [18] [24]

Distribution and habitat

Flowering specimen of Boquila trifoliolata at Puyehue National Park Boquila trifoliolata (Parque Nacional Puyehue, Chili) 1.jpg
Flowering specimen of Boquila trifoliolata at Puyehue National Park

The Boquila genus is endemic to the temperate rainforests, nothofagus forests, and evergreen forests of southern Argentina and Chile, ranging from Cauquenes to Chiloe. [13] [4] B. trifoliata is most commonly found between 100 metres (330 ft) to 600 metres (2,000 ft) in elevation. [13] Unlike many other species of vines, B. trifoliata is not parasitic. Instead, it only attaches to trees for protection and structure, sometimes forming thickets over 6 metres (20 ft) in height. B. trifoliata can survive temperatures as low as −8 °C (18 °F) and prefers soil rich in humus. The species is resistant to wilting, but generally prefers to grow in shaded environments. [4] [15] [13]

Human uses

The stems are used locally in basketry and in rope making. The leaf juice was historically used by local tribes to treat sore eyes and was once believed to be an aphrodisiac. The plant is also used ornamentally and the berries are edible. [13] Stems are often cut in the summer and rooted in cold frames as a means of propagation. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vine</span> Plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent stems or runners

A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent stems, lianas, or runners. The word vine can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimicry</span> Imitation of another species for selective advantage

In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry functions to protect a species from predators, making it an anti-predator adaptation. Mimicry evolves if a receiver perceives the similarity between a mimic and a model and as a result changes its behaviour in a way that provides a selective advantage to the mimic. The resemblances that evolve in mimicry can be visual, acoustic, chemical, tactile, or electric, or combinations of these sensory modalities. Mimicry may be to the advantage of both organisms that share a resemblance, in which case it is a form of mutualism; or mimicry can be to the detriment of one, making it parasitic or competitive. The evolutionary convergence between groups is driven by the selective action of a signal-receiver or dupe. Birds, for example, use sight to identify palatable insects and butterflies, whilst avoiding the noxious ones. Over time, palatable insects may evolve to resemble noxious ones, making them mimics and the noxious ones models. In the case of mutualism, sometimes both groups are referred to as "co-mimics". It is often thought that models must be more abundant than mimics, but this is not so. Mimicry may involve numerous species; many harmless species such as hoverflies are Batesian mimics of strongly defended species such as wasps, while many such well-defended species form Müllerian mimicry rings, all resembling each other. Mimicry between prey species and their predators often involves three or more species.

<i>Ptelea trifoliata</i> Species of tree

Ptelea trifoliata, commonly known as common hoptree, wafer ash, stinking ash, and skunk bush, is a species of flowering plant in the citrus family (Rutaceae). It is native to North America, where it is found in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It is a deciduous shrub or tree, with alternate, trifoliate leaves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batesian mimicry</span> Bluffing imitation of a strongly defended species

Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both. It is named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, who worked on butterflies in the rainforests of Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viceroy (butterfly)</span> Species of butterfly

The viceroy is a North American butterfly. It was long thought to be a Batesian mimic of the monarch butterfly, but since the viceroy is also distasteful to predators, it is now considered a Müllerian mimic instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Müllerian mimicry</span> Mutually beneficial mimicry of strongly defended species

Müllerian mimicry is a natural phenomenon in which two or more well-defended species, often foul-tasting and sharing common predators, have come to mimic each other's honest warning signals, to their mutual benefit. The benefit to Müllerian mimics is that predators only need one unpleasant encounter with one member of a set of Müllerian mimics, and thereafter avoid all similar coloration, whether or not it belongs to the same species as the initial encounter. It is named after the German naturalist Fritz Müller, who first proposed the concept in 1878, supporting his theory with the first mathematical model of frequency-dependent selection, one of the first such models anywhere in biology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crypsis</span> Aspect of animal behaviour and morphology

In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an animal or a plant to avoid observation or detection by other animals. It may be a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation. Methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle and mimicry. Crypsis can involve visual, olfactory or auditory concealment. When it is visual, the term cryptic coloration, effectively a synonym for animal camouflage, is sometimes used, but many different methods of camouflage are employed by animals or plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lardizabalaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

Lardizabalaceae is a family of flowering plants.

<i>Akebia</i> Species of plant

Akebia is a genus of five species of flowering plant, within the family Lardizabalaceae. The scientific name, akebia, is a Latinization of the Japanese name for the species Akebia quinata: akebi (通草).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen (butterfly)</span> Species of butterfly

The queen butterfly is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae with a wingspan of 80–85 mm. It is orange or brown with black wing borders and small white forewing spots on its dorsal wing surface, and reddish ventral wing surface fairly similar to the dorsal surface. The ventral hindwings have black veins and small white spots in a black border. The male has a black androconial scent patch on its dorsal hindwings. It can be found in meadows, fields, marshes, deserts, and at the edges of forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ant mimicry</span> Animals that resemble ants

Ant mimicry or myrmecomorphy is mimicry of ants by other organisms; it has evolved over 70 times. Ants are abundant all over the world, and potential predators that rely on vision to identify their prey, such as birds and wasps, normally avoid them, because they are either unpalatable or aggressive. Some arthropods mimic ants to escape predation, while some predators of ants, especially spiders, mimic them anatomically and behaviourally in aggressive mimicry. Ant mimicry has existed almost as long as ants themselves; the earliest ant mimics in the fossil record appear in the mid-Cretaceous alongside the earliest ants.

<i>Berberis trifoliolata</i> Species of flowering plant

Berberis trifoliolata is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, in southwestern North America. Common names include agarita, agrito, algerita, currant-of-Texas, wild currant, and chaparral berry. The name Agarita comes from the Spanish verb agarrar, which means "to grab". The ending "-ita" is often added to little things, so agarita means "grabs a little". This was probably said because the bush is a bit scratchy but does not have significant spines. Typical characteristics are grey-green to blue-grey leaves, yellow flowers in February to April and the red berries appearing in May. The most important harvest organ are the berries, though the roots and seeds can also be used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aggressive mimicry</span> Deceptive mimicry of a harmless species by a predator

Aggressive mimicry is a form of mimicry in which predators, parasites, or parasitoids share similar signals, using a harmless model, allowing them to avoid being correctly identified by their prey or host. Zoologists have repeatedly compared this strategy to a wolf in sheep's clothing. In its broadest sense, aggressive mimicry could include various types of exploitation, as when an orchid exploits a male insect by mimicking a sexually receptive female, but will here be restricted to forms of exploitation involving feeding. For example, indigenous Australians who dress up as and imitate kangaroos when hunting would not be considered aggressive mimics, nor would a human angler, though they are undoubtedly practising self-decoration camouflage. Treated separately is molecular mimicry, which shares some similarity; for instance a virus may mimic the molecular properties of its host, allowing it access to its cells. An alternative term, Peckhamian mimicry, has been suggested, but it is seldom used.

<i>Callosamia promethea</i> Species of moth

Callosamia promethea, commonly known as the promethea silkmoth, is a member of the family Saturniidae, which contains approximately 1,300 species. It is also known as the spicebush silkmoth, which refers to is one of the promethea silkmoth's common host plants, spicebush. C. promethea is classified as a silk moth, which stems from its ability to produce silk, which it does in the formation of its cocoon. C. promethea lives in forests in the eastern U.S. and does not damage the trees on which it lives. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emsleyan mimicry</span> Mimicry of a less deadly species

Emsleyan mimicry, also called Mertensian mimicry, describes an unusual type of mimicry where a deadly prey mimics a less dangerous species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical mimicry</span> Biological mimicry using chemicals

Chemical mimicry is a type of biological mimicry involving the use of chemicals to dupe an operator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimicry in plants</span>

In evolutionary biology, mimicry in plants is where a plant organism evolves to resemble another organism physically or chemically, increasing the mimic's Darwinian fitness. Mimicry in plants has been studied far less than mimicry in animals, with fewer documented cases and peer-reviewed studies. However, it may provide protection against herbivory, or may deceptively encourage mutualists, like pollinators, to provide a service without offering a reward in return.

Locomotor mimicry is a subtype of Batesian mimicry in which animals avoid predation by mimicking the movements of another species phylogenetically separated. This can be in the form of mimicking a less desirable species or by mimicking the predator itself. Animals can show similarity in swimming, walking, or flying of their model animals.

In evolutionary biology, mimicry in vertebrates is mimicry by a vertebrate of some model, deceiving some other animal, the dupe. Mimicry differs from camouflage as it is meant to be seen, while animals use camouflage to remain hidden. Visual, olfactory, auditory, biochemical, and behavioral modalities of mimicry have been documented in vertebrates.

Cryptic mimicry is observed in animals as well as plants. In animals, this may involve nocturnality, camouflage, subterranean lifestyle, and mimicry. Generally, plant herbivores are visually oriented. So a mimicking plant should strongly resemble its host; this can be done through visual and/or textural change. Previous criteria for mimicry include similarity of leaf dimensions, leaf presentation, and intermodal distances between the host and mimicking plant.

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