Calandrinia balonensis

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Calandrinia balonensis
Calandrinia balonnensis habit.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Montiaceae
Genus: Calandrinia
Species:
C. balonensis
Binomial name
Calandrinia balonensis
Lindl. (1848)
CBalonensis range map v2.jpg
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]
  • Claytonia balonensis(Lindl.) Tate (1880)
  • Parakeelya balonensis(Lindl.) Hershk. (1998 publ. 1999)
  • Rumicastrum balonense(Lindl.) Carolin (2020)

Calandrinia balonensis is a succulent plant native to arid and semi-arid regions of Australia. [2]

Contents

The scientific name for the species refers to Jean Louis Calandrini, a 19th-century Genevan professor and botanical author, and the Balonne River in Queensland, where the first specimen was found. [3] Common names for C. balonensis include parakeelya, broad-leaf parakeelya, broad-leaved parakeelya and Balonne parakeelya. [3] [4] [5] The word “parakeelya” derives from one of the many Aboriginal Australian names for the plant. [6] C. balonensis is marketed as a garden plant under the name Calandrinia ‘Mystique’. [7]

Description

C. balonensis is a succulent annual herb with bright green foliage that grows in a spreading form up to 60 cm across, with erect leafy flower-stems to 30 cm high. [2] [8] The leaves are fleshy, approximately 5 to 20 mm wide and 20 to 100 mm long, with a groove running lengthwise along the middle of the upper surface. [2] Although leaves appear almost flat when viewed from above, if the leaf is turned over to display the underside, its succulence is apparent. [8] Leaves form a rosette at the base of the plant and extend up the flower-stems. [2]

C. balonensis foliage Calandrinia balonensis 3.jpg
C. balonensis foliage
C. balonensis flower Calandrinia balonensis 2.jpg
C. balonensis flower

There are three to four flowers at the top of each stem or on short leafy branches. [2] Flowers are vivid dark pink or purple with five petals 11 to 15 mm long and bright yellow stamens in the center. [3] The flowers open during the day and close just before sunset. The fruit is a small capsule that contains numerous dark-red seeds. The capsule is 5 to 9 mm long and 4 to 7 mm wide, and the seeds are at least 1 mm in diameter. [2]

Taxonomy

C. balonensis is one of approximately 74 Calandrinia species native to Australia. [9] Along with the pigweeds ( Portulaca species), Calandrinia are the most prominent succulent species in Australia. [10] The Australian Calandrinia were traditionally considered to be monophyletic (share the same ancestry) with 14 Calandrinia species from the Americas, and are still classified as belonging to the same genus. [11] However, in 1987 Australian taxonomist Roger Carolin proposed that the American and Australian Calandrinia are not closely related to each other based on morphological analyses. Follow-up studies also supported two different lineages, based in part on the absence of Calandrinia on islands along possible dispersal pathways between South America and Australia and in part on genomic data. [12] [9]

Despite this, the nomenclature has not been officially changed for all Australian Calandrinia, including C. balonensis. Although the need for a nomenclature change is widely agreed, a debate has arisen over the appropriate naming of the Australian Calandrinia. [13] A proposal has been made to rename the genus as Parakeelya on the grounds that it is used as a common name for the whole genus, derives from South Australian and Central Desert Indigenous names, and is already accepted as a synonym for some Australian species. [14] The competing view holds that the Australian genus should be named Rumicastrum according to established nomenclatural rules. [13] Plants of the World Online accepts Rumicastrum, [1] as does Mark Hershkovitz, the author of Parakeelya. [13] Other sources are undecided. [11]

Distribution and habitat

C. balonensis is widely distributed in the arid and semi-arid zones of New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. [3] [15] It is most common on sandplains, sand dunes and rises and along sandy intermittent watercourses. It is less frequently found on gravelly hills of neutral or acidic rocks. [2] [6] The plant occurs in association with mulga and poplar box woodlands and in spinifex communities. [2] [6]

Ecology

The distinctive features and life history of C. balonensis reflect the requirements of its distribution in dry regions. The most noticeable of these features is succulence, an evolutionary strategy in which plants’ leaves or roots are thickened, fleshy, and engorged to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. [10] Although succulence is rare among Australian plants when compared to arid regions in the Americas and Africa, it is a defining characteristic of Calandrinias. [10] C. balonensis has “leaf succulence,” in which the majority of its water reserves are stored in the leaves. [8] C. balonensis utilises crassulean acid metabolism (CAM) at a low level. [16] In CAM photosynthesis, plants can obtain carbon dioxide by opening their stomata at night when water loss is reduced. Carbon dioxide absorbed at night is stored in dilute form in the succulent tissues until daylight, when photosynthesis is completed. [10] Like other Calandrinia with CAM, C. balonensis obtains most of its carbon through daytime photosynthesis, unlike some other well-known succulents such as cacti that may obtain most or all required carbon at night. [16]

C. balonensis has been classified as a “drought evader,” a short-lived plant that spends most of its life as a dormant seed or a small plant, until a large rainfall event triggers germination or growth, in contrast to “drought tolerators” which are perennial plants that can survive long periods without rainfall. [17] In drier periods C. balonensis can grow as a small single rosette. After significant rainfall it rapidly develops from this single rosette to a large green mass of leaves and stems that can carpet the sandplains and dunes with massed, colourful displays. [8] It tends to last longer than most arid or semi-arid zone annuals because of its ability to store water in its succulent leaves. [18] C. balonensis may flower any month but is most commonly reported to do so in spring. [6] [2]

Uses

C. balonensis was an important food for Aboriginal people in Central Australia. [19] Pitjantjatjara people steam the leaves, roots and stems before eating, and would eat the succulent leaves raw for their moisture content in an emergency. [18] The small black seeds can be ground into a paste that is rich in protein (14.6 percent) and fat (17 percent), but gathering the seeds in useful quantities is labour-intensive. [19]

The widespread use of C. balonensis is reflected in numerous terms for it in Aboriginal languages:

C. balonensis leaves were also a food source for European settlers and explorers. Alice Duncan-Kemp, an author and Indigenous culture recorder, described C. balonensis as palatable when cooked and dressed with seasoning or white sauce. [19]

C. balonensis is considered a palatable and useful forage species for sheep and cattle. Some Calandrinia species have been reported to contain high levels of oxalic acid, but it is considered that none of the species, including C. balonensis, occur at such abundance as to cause problems for stock. [2] C. balonensis has been classified as a preferred food source of feral camels in Central Australia.

Cultivation

A selection of this species, cv 'Mystique', has been registered and propagated as a clone. [20] Like other Calandrinia species, it is self-incompatible, and therefore does not set seed unless grown with other clones. [21] It can be propagated by cuttings and the resulting plants flower prolifically, but they may be difficult to maintain for more than one year. [22] Wild-type plants also make attractive garden plants, and if several clones are grown together, they interpollinate and set abundant seed, and if several clones are grown together, they interpollinate and set abundant seed. [22] The seed germinates only sparsely without some form of scarification of the seed coat, but ~80% germination has been reported when the coat of the tiny seed is nicked with a scalpel, using a dissecting microscope. [23] [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cactus</span> Family of mostly succulent plants, adapted to dry environments

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word κάκτος (káktos), a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north, with the exception of Rhipsalis baccifera, which is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka. Cacti are adapted to live in very dry environments, including the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. For example, almost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy parts adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. In the absence of true leaves, cacti's enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mistletoe</span> Common name for various parasitic plants that grow on trees and shrubs

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crassulacean acid metabolism</span> Metabolic process

Crassulacean acid metabolism, also known as CAM photosynthesis, is a carbon fixation pathway that evolved in some plants as an adaptation to arid conditions that allows a plant to photosynthesize during the day, but only exchange gases at night. In a plant using full CAM, the stomata in the leaves remain shut during the day to reduce evapotranspiration, but they open at night to collect carbon dioxide and allow it to diffuse into the mesophyll cells. The CO2 is stored as four-carbon malic acid in vacuoles at night, and then in the daytime, the malate is transported to chloroplasts where it is converted back to CO2, which is then used during photosynthesis. The pre-collected CO2 is concentrated around the enzyme RuBisCO, increasing photosynthetic efficiency. This mechanism of acid metabolism was first discovered in plants of the family Crassulaceae.

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

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<i>Exocarpos cupressiformis</i> Species of plant

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<i>Atriplex semibaccata</i> Species of plant

Atriplex semibaccata, commonly known as Australian saltbush, berry saltbush, or creeping saltbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a perennial herb native to Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, but has been introduced into other states and to overseas countries. It flowers and fruits in spring, and propagates from seed when the fruit splits open. This species of saltbush is adapted to inconsistent rainfall, temperature and humidity extremes and to poor soil. It is used for rehabilitation, medicine, as a cover crop and for fodder. Its introduction to other countries has had an environmental and economic impact on them.

<i>Pterocarpus macrocarpus</i> Species of legume

Pterocarpus macrocarpus, or Burma padauk, is a tree native to the seasonal tropical forests of southeastern Asia: in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has been naturalized in India and the Caribbean.

<i>Curio rowleyanus</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Curio rowleyanus, syn. Senecio rowleyanus, is a flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is a creeping, perennial, succulent vine native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. In its natural environment its stems trail on the ground, rooting where they touch and form dense mats. It often avoids direct sunlight by growing in the shade of other plants and rocks. It is commonly known as string-of-pearls or string-of-beads.

<i>Acacia stenophylla</i> Species of tree

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<i>Atriplex vesicaria</i> Species of plant

Atriplex vesicaria, commonly known as bladder saltbush, is a species of flowering plant of the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to arid and semi-arid inland regions of Australia. It is an upright or sprawling shrub with scaly leaves and separate male and female plants, the fruit often with a bladder-like appendage.

A xerophyte is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. Examples are typically desert regions like the Sahara, and places in the Alps or the Arctic. Popular examples of xerophytes are cacti, pineapple and some Gymnosperm plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Succulent plant</span> Plants adapted to arid conditions

In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap".

<i>Geranium potentilloides</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium potentilloides, belongs to the family Geraniaceae, and is a small prostrate perennial herb that can grow up to 60cm high. The species is commonly referred to as Soft Cranesbill or Cinquefoil geranium.

<i>Waitzia acuminata</i> Species of plant

Waitzia acuminata, commonly known as orange immortelle, is an annual forb in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Australia. Plants grow to between 10 and 60 cm in height and have leaves that are long and narrow. These are between 2 and 7 cm long and 2 to 5 mm in width. The yellow, orange or white flowers appear between July and January. Waitzia Acuminata occurs in all mainland states of Australia and is currently not considered rare or endangered. Its genus Waitzia is named after German botanist Karl Friedrich Waitz. Acuminata is a latin name describing things that are tapered to a point, named after the plants spindle like outer bracts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stem succulent</span> Columnar succulent

Stem succulents are fleshy succulent columnar shaped plants which conduct photosynthesis mainly through their stems rather than their leaves. These plants are defined by their succulent stems and have evolved to have similar forms by convergent evolution to occupy similar niches.

Calotis cymbacantha, the showy burr daisy, is a species of Calotis native to the arid areas of Australia. It is a perennial herb that grows between 10 and 40 cm tall. It has hairy erect stems which are woody at the base and produces yellow flowers.

<i>Calandrinia granulifera</i> Species of plant

Calandrinia granulifera is an annual herb in the family Montiaceae, and is native to New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia, and Victoria.

<i>Atriplex holocarpa</i> Species of flowering plant

Atriplex holocarpa is a low-growing species of Atriplex (saltbush) found throughout arid regions of Australia. A. holocarpa is commonly known as pop saltbush, because its carpals pop when stepped upon.

<i>Carpobrotus modestus</i> Species of succulent

Carpobrotus modestus, commonly known as inland pigface, is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to the coasts of Australia. It produces purple flowers which mature into fruits and is mainly used as a groundcover succulent or as a drought tolerant plant.

Goodenia peacockiana is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to semi-arid areas of inland Western Australia. It is a prostrate to low-lying annual herb with elliptic to lance-shaped leaves with toothed or lobed edges, and racemes of yellow flowers, often with darker markings.

References

  1. 1 2 Rumicastrum balonense (Lindl.) Carolin. Plants of the World Online . Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cunningham, G. M., Mulham, W. E., Milthorpe, P. L., & Leigh, J. H. (1992). Plants of western New South Wales. Melbourne & Sydney, Australia: Inkata Press. pp. 297–298.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 Australian National Botanic Gardens, Parks Australia. "Calandrinia balonensis - Growing Native Plants". www.anbg.gov.au. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  4. ↑ "Fact sheet for Calandrinia balonensis". www.flora.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  5. ↑ "PlantNET - FloraOnline". plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "NT Flora". eflora.nt.gov.au. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  7. ↑ "Calandrinia 'Mystique'". www.anbg.gov.au. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Kapitany, A. The Australian Calandrinia. Boronia, Victoria: Kapitany Concepts. p. 6.
  9. 1 2 Hancock, L.P, Obbens, F., Moore, A.J., Thiele, K., de Vos, J.M, West, J., and Edwards, E.J. (2018). "Phylogeny, evolution, and biogeographic history of Calandrinia (Montiaceae)". American Journal of Botany. 105 (6): 1021–1034. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1110 . PMID   29995314. S2CID   51612043.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. 1 2 3 4 Low, T. (2016). "Where are all the succulents?". Wildlife Australia. 53: 12–14.
  11. 1 2 Thiele, Kevin (29 December 2018). "On the Horizon: Calandrinia changing to Parakeelya". Taxonomy Australia. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  12. ↑ Tahir, S.S. and Carolin, R.C. (1990). "Phylogeny and origin of Australian Calandrinia (Portulacaceae)". Pakistan Journal of Botany. 22: 1–4.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. 1 2 3 Hershkovitz, M.A. (2020). "Rumicastrum Ulbrich (Montiaceae): a beautiful name for the Australian calandrinias". Phytologia. 102: 116–123.
  14. ↑ Thiele, K.R., Obbens, L., Hancock, E., Edwards, E. and West, J.G. (2018). "Proposal to conserve the name Parakeelya against Rumicastrum". Taxon. 67: 214–215. doi:10.12705/671.25.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ AVH (2020). "The Australasian Virtual Herbarium, Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria" . Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  16. 1 2 Hancock, L.G., Holtum, J.A.M., and Edwards, E.J. (2019). "The Evolution of CAM Photosynthesis in Australian Calandrinia Reveals Lability in C3+CAM Phenotypes and a Possible Constraint to the Evolution of Strong CAM". Integrative and Comparative Biology. 59 (3): 517–534. doi: 10.1093/icb/icz089 . PMID   31161205.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ Keith, D. (2004). Ocean shores to desert dunes – The native vegetation of New South Wales and the ACT. Hurstville, NSW: Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW). p. 279.
  18. 1 2 3 Latz, P. (1995). Bushfires and Bushtucker: Aboriginal Plant Use in Central Australia. Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia: IAD Press. pp. 134–135.
  19. 1 2 3 Low, T. (1988). Wild Food Plants of Australia. Sydney, Australia: Harpers Collings Publishers. p. 157.
  20. ↑ "Calandrinia 'Mystique'". www.anbg.gov.au. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  21. ↑ Wickramasinghe Priyanka, Harrison Dion K., Johnston Margaret E. (2010). "Reproductive biology and intergeneric breeding compatibility of ornamental Portulaca and Calandrinia (Portulacaceae)". Australian Journal of Botany. 57 (8): 697–707. doi:10.1071/BT09107.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. 1 2 "Parakeelya habitat - Vertical gardens on walls, trees and water tanks". sites.google.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  23. ↑ "Seeds of South Australia - Home Page". spapps.environment.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  24. ↑ "Seed Information Database: Search Results". data.kew.org. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
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