Bucephalandra

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Bucephalandra
Bucephalandra botanical drawing.png
1858 illustration [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Araceae
Subfamily: Aroideae
Tribe: Schismatoglottideae
Genus: Bucephalandra
Schott 1858
Synonyms [2]

Microcasia Becc.

Bucephalandra is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. There are 30 species of Bucephalandra which have been discovered in Borneo and have been formally described by S.Y. Wong and P.C. Boyce. [3] [4] [5] Most of the species are found in Borneo. [3] Bucephalandra are usually found growing as dense mats over stones or rocks in streams or rivers in moist tropical forest. [3] [6]

Contents

Etymology

Bucephalandra is derived from Greek words, βοῦς (bous; bull or cow), κεφαλή (kephalē; head) and ἀνήρ (anēr; man), referring to the shape of the single male (staminate) flowers.

Description

These rheophytic (very seldom facultative) herbs can be minute to rather large, about 2 cm to 60 cm tall. Their stems are creeping and rooting, with a few or many leaves. The leaves can be quite delicate or tough and their shapes can be elliptic, oblong, linear, oblanceolate or obovate. Most of the leaf surfaces are rather glossy and the colours of the leaf range from dark blue-green to green, often with white to yellow to red tinges or spots on the back of the leaves.

The inflorescence can be solitary or in pair to several. Spathes are mostly white with flush (a few of them are yellow) and shapes can be ellipsoid to lanceolate, narrowing to a point. The limbs (upper part of spathes) drop off during staminate anthesis, leaving the persistent funnel-shaped lower part of the spathe. Spadix consist of a few or no pistillodes at the base, pistillate zone, a few rows of scale-like motile staminodes (interstice staminodes), staminate zone, and appendix. Pistils are depressed globose or depressed trapezoidal in shape, 1-locular and with many ovules. Stamens consist of short filaments with thecae at the tip, dehiscing by a pore. Pollens squeezed out from the theca pore like a droplet. [3]

Fruits are berries with round to ellipsoidal shapes. [3] The seeds of Bucephalandra are dispersed by splash-cup mechanism; water droplets splash into the funnel-shape lower spathe and this motion ejects the seeds. The seeds will then anchor on the mosses or tiny fissures on the surrounding rock. [3]

Anthesis and role of interstice staminodes

The scale-like motile staminodes sandwiched by pistillate and staminate flower zones are called interstice staminodes. These staminodes play a role in controlling pollinators' access to the pistillate flower zone and to protect the developing fruits. [3]

During pistillate anthesis, the spathe inflates to create a slit in the limb, stigmas become sticky and emit odour to attract pollinatros, and the interstice staminodes and thecae erect, allowing pollinators to access pistillate zone. When stigmas become non-receptive, the interstice staminodes begin to lower and seal off the lower spathe.

During staminate athesis, the staminate flower thecae point upward and emit odour. Shortly after that, the limb splits away from the lower spathe, coincidentally pollen droplet extrudes from the tips of the theca horns.

Once the fertilization is successful, the interstice staminodes become photosynthetic, thicken, and harden until the fruits are fully developed. The enlarged berries push the staminodes up and staminodes shed away. The fruits are exposed and quickly become gooey pulp embedded with seeds. [3]

Aquarist use

Bucephalandra, a relatively recent addition to the aquarium hobby, has quickly risen in popularity among aquarists. Native to the streams of Borneo, it was introduced to aquarium enthusiasts seeking new and unique plant options. Known for its slow growth, diverse leaf shapes, and striking colors, Bucephalandra offers a different aesthetic compared to traditional choices like Anubias or Java fern. Its iridescent leaves and ease of care have made it a favorite in the aquascaping community. [7]

Species

Related Research Articles

<i>Xanthosoma</i> Genus of plants

Xanthosoma is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. The genus is native to tropical America but widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical regions. Several are grown for their starchy corms, an important food staple of tropical regions, known variously as malanga, otoy, otoe, cocoyam, tannia, tannier, yautía, macabo, ocumo, macal, taioba, dasheen, quequisque, ʻape and as Singapore taro. Many other species, including especially Xanthosoma roseum, are used as ornamental plants; in popular horticultural literature these species may be known as ‘ape due to resemblance to the true Polynesian ʻape, Alocasia macrorrhizos, or as elephant ear from visual resemblance of the leaf to an elephant's ear. Sometimes the latter name is also applied to members in the closely related genera Caladium, Colocasia (taro), and Alocasia.

<i>Schismatoglottis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Schismatoglottis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. Members of the genus are similar in appearance and growth habit to those of the genus Homalomena, but the two genera are not closely related. The primary difference is that the leaves of Schismatoglottis are not aromatic. Schismatoglottis are found primarily in tropical parts of Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Melanesia. The majority of the species are native to the Island of Borneo.

<i>Aridarum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Aridarum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. All of the known species in this genus are rheophytic and are endemic to the Island of Borneo. The plant is aquatic and has willow-shaped leaves that are able to take strong currents without sustaining damage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aroideae</span> Subfamily of flowering plants

Aroideae is a subfamily of flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is the largest subfamily in Araceae and consists of about 72 different genera, and 2,300 species. Many Aroideae have spiny pollen grains without a sporopollenin outer exine layer and lacking an aperture.

Vesta is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, formally described in 2018. It contains only one known species, Vesta longifolia, native to Perak in Peninsular Malaysia and to Brunei and Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

Bakoaella is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Araceae.

Pursegloveia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the subfamily Aroideae in the family Araceae.

Bucephalandra minotaur is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is an obligate rheophyte, found on granite.

Bucephalandra sordidula is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is capable of flowering underwater.

Bucephalandra chimaera is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is an obligate rheophyte, found on granite boulders alongside small streams.

Bucephalandra chrysokoupa is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is an obligate rheophyte, found on granite boulders along riversides.

Bucephalandra ultramafica is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Sabah on Borneo. It is found growing on ultramafic rocks alongside rivers.

Bucephalandra kishii is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is a facultative rheophyte, found on granite along high altitude riversides.

Bucephalandra pubes is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is an obligate rheophyte, found on granite rocks and boulders.

Bucephalandra tetana is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is a petite rheophyte, found on mossy granite rocks alongside rivers.

Bucephalandra diabolica is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is a petite obligate rheophyte, found on granite rocks alongside rivers.

Bucephalandra forcipula is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is an obligate rheophyte, found on granite waterfalls.

Bucephalandra oncophora is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is an obligate rheophyte, found on pentlandite alongside streams.

Bucephalandra vespula is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Kalimantan on Borneo. It is an obligate rheophyte, found on shady granite rocks along fast-flowing streams.

References

  1. ↑ Josef Seboth. Litography: O. Sommer (artist) - Genera Aroidearum exposita by Schott, Heinrich Wilhelm. Vindobonae: Typis Caroli Ueberreuter
  2. ↑ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Yeng, Wong Sin; Boyce, Peter C. (2014-08-02). "Studies on Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) of Borneo XXX — New species and combinations for Bucephalandra" (PDF). Willdenowia. 44 (2): 149–199. doi:10.3372/wi.44.44201. ISSN   0511-9618. S2CID   86523382.
  4. ↑ Yeng, Wong Sin; Boyce, Peter C. (2014-12-05). "Studies on Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) of Borneo XXXXI: Additional new species of Bucephalandra" (PDF). Willdenowia. 44 (3): 415–421. doi:10.3372/wi.44.44312. ISSN   0511-9618. S2CID   86281226.
  5. ↑ Wong, Sin Yeng; Boyce, Peter C. "Studies on Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) of Borneo LVII: Bucephalandra filiformis – a new species from Maligan, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo" (PDF). Aroideana. 39: 56–60 – via aroid.org.
  6. ↑ Bown, Deni (2000). Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family. Timber Press. ISBN   0-88192-485-7.
  7. ↑ Leykis, Matt (2023-11-29). "Bucephalandra Care Guide and 3 tips for INSANE Growth!" . Retrieved 2023-11-29.
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