Hypericum aciferum

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Hypericum aciferum
Hypericum aciferum.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Hypericaceae
Genus: Hypericum
Section: Hypericum sect. Adenotrias
Species:
H. aciferum
Binomial name
Hypericum aciferum
(Greuter) N.Robson
Synonyms
  • Elodes aciferaGreuter

Hypericum aciferum is a species of flowering plant in the St John's wort family Hypericaceae. It is a small shrub endemic to the Greek island of Crete. H. aciferum grows in a mat on the ground and has twisting branches, needle-like leaves, and long golden petals. Its flowers are also heterostylous, a trait which within the Hypericum genus is unique to three species in section Adenotrias, and means that the species can exhibit one of two flower types on different plants.

Contents

The species was described by Werner Greuter in 1965 as Elodes acifera, and was later placed into section Adenotrias of the genus Hypericum by Norman Robson in 1984. Hypericum aciferum has an extremely limited distribution in the southwest corner of Crete, and is found in rock crevices. It was assessed as endangered several times in the 1980s and 1990s, due to a small population and threats from grazing and fire. It was protected by the European Environment Agency, and a plant micro-reserve was established to conserve it. The International Union for Conservation of Nature re-assessed H. aciferum as vulnerable in 2021 and recorded its population as stable. The plant is not used by humans for ornamental or pharmaceutical purposes.

Etymology

The genus name Hypericum is possibly derived from the Greek words hyper (above) and eikon (picture), in reference to the tradition of hanging the plant over religious icons in the home. [1] The specific epithet aciferum comes from Latin and possibly refers to the needle-like leaves of the plant. [2]

Description

Hypericum aciferum is a shrublet that grows around 5–6 centimeters tall. The species grows low to the ground, with many twisting branches that press against the soil; these form a mat that can be up to 60 cm wide. The whole plant lacks hairs and dark glands. [3] [4]

The stems are mostly cylindrical when the plant is mature. [4] The leaves are arranged on opposite sides of the stem and are narrow but have a more thick, rounded end. They are 0.5–1.2 cm long and 0.06–0.14 cm wide. The midrib is raised on the underside of the leaf, like the keel of a ship, but is slightly furrowed on the top side. [3] The shape of the leaves is like a needle, and they have the texture of leather. [4]

The flowers are arranged in small, simple clusters that consist of a single branch. [3] Each cluster usually has two or three flowers, each borne on a stalk that is about 0.2 cm long. The flowers are 0.8 cm and are heterostylous, with elliptic sepals and long golden yellow petals. The petals are 0.75 cm long and 0.15 cm wide and curve at their tip. [4] The stamens are in three bundles of three, with fleshy anthers. The seed capsule is septicidal, meaning it splits open along three seams. [3]

Plants of Hypericum aciferum can have one of two types of flowers, a phenomenon known as heterostyly. In Type 1 flowers, the styles are much longer than the stamens; in Type 2 flowers, the stamens are much longer than the styles. Insect pollination is usually only between different types of flowers, encouraging genetic diversity within the species. A small-scale study of the species suggested a ratio of Type 1 to Type 2 flowers of 1:1.5. [5]

Similar species

Hypericum aciferum is most similar in appearance to the other two species in section Adenotrias: H. russeggeri and H. aegypticum. It can be told apart primarily by its reduced size. In comparison to H. russeggeri, it also has narrower leaves, fewer flowers, petals with less curling, and fewer stamens in each bundle. [4]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Werner Greuter in the journal Candollea in 1965. [6] Greuter originally wanted to include it in the small genus Triadenia, with which it shared characteristics and a distribution. However, he noted that Triadenia was likely an illegitimate genus, because its type species T. microphylla was actually a synonym of Hypericum aegypticum . As such, he decided to place it into the related genus Elodes under the name Elodes acifera. He further placed it under an informal set of species within the genus called the "Adenotrias group", and formalized that set into the taxon Elodes sect. Adenotrias. This placed Elodes acifera as most closely related to Elodes russeggeri (previously Triadenia russeggeri), the only other species in the new section. [7]

Norman Robson described the species again in 1967 in the journal Feddes Repertorium, moving it into the genus Hypericum under its currently accepted name Hypericum aciferum. [6] The new name was affirmed in the species catalogue Flora Europaea two years later, [8] and Werner Greuter corroborated the placement in Annales Musei Goulandris in 1973. [4]

At various points since Robson's assignment of the species to Hypericum, several sections of that large genus were split off again. The primary reason for this was what Robson called an "Elodes syndrome" of convergent flower adaptations. [9] While section Adenotrias also possessed the syndrome, it was retained in the genus, meaning that the name Hypericum aciferum remained constant; [10] this was affirmed by a study of molecular phylogenetics in 2013. [11]

Distribution, habitat, and ecology

Hypericum aciferum was originally described from a single location in southwestern Crete. [7] Today, it is known to be endemic to the island of Crete, [6] and is found at only two localities: one in the Sfakia region and the other in the Selino area. [4] Hypericum aciferum is a chasmophyte, often growing in the crevices of rocks. [12] It is very rare, but can be found in limestone or other chalky rocks at altitudes of 5–40 meters. [4] [7] Despite being much less frequently found, it has a habitat that is highly similar to that of H. russeggeri and H. aegypticum. [4]

Hypericum aciferum can be found among several other species, including Allium bourgeaui , Centaurea argentea , Dianthus fruticosus , Origanum dictamnus , Ornithogalum creticum , and Staehelina fruticosa . [13] A part of the population is found inside a Pinus halepensis forest. [14] One method by which H. aciferum spreads is via myrmecochory; ants help to disperse its seeds by carrying them from one place to another. [15] The plant can be propagated easily from seeds stored in a seed bank. [13]

Conservation

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Location of the Hypericum aciferum PMR

The International Union for Conservation of Nature's List of rare, threatened and endemic plants in Europe listed Hypericum aciferum as being endemic to Greece and an endangered species in 1982. [16] In 1994 the European Environment Agency marked Hypericum aciferum as a "strictly protected flora species". [17] A more detailed assessment was included in the 1995 Red Data Book of Greece, which counted a total of 95 plants in the wild and a few cultivated plants in a municipal garden in Herraklion. [13] H. aciferum was also included in the 1997 IUCN Red List, where it was again marked as endangered. [18]

Beginning in 2015, most of the population of Hypericum aciferum is contained within a plant micro-reserve (PMR) of around 6.5 hectares. [19] It is centered near Agia Roumeli on Fournoti beach and consists of the exit of a small gorge area. [12] The PMR contained around 130 plants of the species in 2013 and had a "favorable" situation for conservation, with a goal of eventually reaching 300 plants. [19] Because of the critically low number of plants, however, there is still a high risk of extinction for the species. The largest threats to Hypericum aciferum are human activity, fire, and erosion of its habitat. Livestock grazing and climate change also present slight stressors to the species. [20] The IUCN re-evaluated the species since the establishment of the micro-reserves. In 2021, Hypericum aciferum was assessed as vulnerable and its population was recorded as stable. [14]

Uses

The species has extremely low suitability for use as a garden plant, and is particularly poor as a potted or patio plant. [21] As of 2007, and unlike other Hypericum taxa, the species is not known to have any pharmaceutical use. [22]

Related Research Articles

<i>Hypericum</i> Genus of flowering plants known as St. Johns worts

Hypericum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae. The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and polar regions. Many Hypericum species are regarded as invasive species and noxious weeds. All members of the genus may be referred to as St. John's wort, and some are known as goatweed. The white or pink flowered marsh St. John's worts of North America and eastern Asia are generally accepted as belonging to the separate genus TriadenumRaf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agia Roumeli</span> Village

Agia Roumeli is a small village in southwest Crete, Greece. It consists of two parallel streets along the water, with several restaurants and souvenir shops. There is an old fortress, called Castle Agia Roumeli, that sits on top of a hill to the west of the village.

<i>Hypericum androsaemum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum androsaemum, the shrubby St. John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. Commonly called tutsan or sweet-amber, the species is cultivated as an ornamental plant because of its striking red-tinted foliage, bright yellow petals, and its large clusters of fruit. Cultivars like 'Albury Purple' and 'Golden Tutsan' which have leaves with more pronounced purple and golden coloring, respectively.

<i>Hypericum aegypticum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum aegypticum is a species of flowering plant of the St. John's wort family (Hypericaceae) which is native to the Eastern Mediterranean. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in the second volume of his Species Plantarum in 1753, who named it after Egypt despite it not being distributed there. The plant is commonly known as shrubby St. John's wort or Egyptian St. John's wort in English. Like other members of section Adenotrias, it is found among limestone rocks in coastal areas. While it has been evaluated as threatened on the island of Malta, the species has no legal protections.

<i>Hypericum bupleuroides</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum bupleuroides is a species of perennial flowering plant in the St John's wort family, Hypericaceae. It grows 45–80 centimeters tall, and notably has perfoliate leaves that are fused at the stem. It has pyramid-shaped flower clusters of 1 to 25 flowers with yellow petals in a star-shaped arrangement. The species is found along the Black Sea coast near the Turkish–Georgian border. Hypericum bupleuroides has a small distribution and specific habitat requirements that make it vulnerable to environmental pressures.

<i>Hypericum hircinum</i> Species of flowering plant

Hypericum hircinum is a species of perennial flowering plant in the St John's wort family, Hypericaceae. It is known as goat St John's wort and stinking tutsan; both names refer to the plant's distinctive odor. The species is a bushy shrub that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall, is many-stemmed, and has golden yellow flowers with conspicuous stamens. The plant has been well-documented in botanical literature, with mentions dating back to at least 1627. Carl Linnaeus described H. hircinum several times, including in his 1753 Species Plantarum which established its binomial. At one point the plant was placed into the defunct genus Androsaemum, but it was returned to Hypericum by Norman Robson in 1985.

<i>Hypericum <span style="font-style:normal;">sect.</span> Androsaemum</i> Group of flowering plants

Androsaemum, commonly called tutsan, is a section of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae. It is made up of Hypericum androsaemum, H. foliosum, H. grandifolium, and H. hircinum, as well as the hybrid H. × inodorum. When it was first described, it was considered its own independent genus, but was later placed under Hypericum and demoted to a section. It is also the namesake of an "Androsaemum-group" of related taxa that includes several other sections of Old World species. The Latin name Androsaemum comes from a Greek work to describe plants with red sap, and literally means "blood-man".

<i>Hypericum foliosum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum foliosum, the shining St John's wort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is a bushy shrub endemic to the Portuguese Azores Islands with golden yellow petals and many stems. The species was described by William Aiton in 1789 and was later placed into section Androsaemum of the genus Hypericum by Norman Robson in 1984. It has a diverse essential oil profile made up mostly of monoterpene hydrocarbons, and significant concentrations of various medicinally useful phenols and carotenoids. Populations of the plant are small in number, but quick to colonize cleared areas like groves, landslide areas, and volcanic ash deposits. It is parasitized by fungus and by moth species, but is not considered endangered by the IUCN. H. foliosum is used in traditional medicine on the Azores for diuretic, hepatoprotective, and antihypertensive purposes. It also has in vitro antibiotic and antioxidizing capabilities.

<i>Hypericum punctatum</i> Species of flowering plant

Hypericum punctatum, the spotted St. John's wort, is a perennial herb native to North America. The yellow-flowered herb occurs throughout eastern North America into southern Canada. The process of microsporogenesis carried out by this plant is prone to errors in chromosomal segregation. It has a diploid number of 14 or 16. Insects are attracted to the plant's pollen and the hypericin in the plant's leaves is toxic to mammals.

Hypericum cuisinii is a perennial herb in the genus Hypericum, in the section Adenosepalum. The herb has pale yellow flowers and occurs in Greece and Turkey.

<i>Hypericum undulatum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum undulatum, the wavy St Johns Wort, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant native to western Europe and northern Africa. The specific name undulatum is Latin, meaning "wavy" or "undulated", referring, just as the common name, to the wavy leaf margins of the herb. The plant has a diploid number of 16 or 32.

Hypericum sect. Sampsonia is a small section of plants in the genus Hypericum. It comprises only two species, both endemic to eastern Asia: Hypericum sampsonii and Hypericum assamicum.

Hypericum sechmenii, or Seçmen's St John's wort, is a rare species of flowering plant of the St John's wort family (Hypericaceae) that is found in the Eskişehir Province of central Turkey. It was first described in 2009 by Turkish botanists Atila Ocak and Onur Koyuncu, who named the species in honor of Özcan Seçmen, a fellow botanist. They assigned the species to the genus Hypericum, and Norman Robson later placed H. sechmenii into the section Adenosepalum.

<i>Hypericum huber-morathii</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

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<i>Hypericum aucheri</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum aucheri, also known as Koramanotu in Turkish, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the St. John's wort family Hypericaceae.

<i>Hypericum russeggeri</i> Species of flowering plant

Hypericum russeggeri is a species of shrub in the genus Hypericum and is the type species of sect. Adenotrias.

<i>Hypericum vacciniifolium</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

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<i>Hypericum <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> inodorum</i> Nothospecies of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum × inodorum, called tall tutsan or the tall St John's wort, is a bushy perennial shrub with yellow flowers native to Western Europe. It has been known since 1789, but confusion around its name, identity, and origin persisted throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

References

  1. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 172.
  2. ↑ "Hypericum aciferum". Cretan Flora. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Greuter 1965, p. 215.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Robson 1996, p. 153.
  5. ↑ Thanos, Kaltsis & Koutsovoulou 2013, p. 148.
  6. 1 2 3 "Hypericum aciferum(Greuter) N.Robson". Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  7. 1 2 3 Greuter 1965, p. 216.
  8. ↑ Tutin et al. 1969, p. 264.
  9. ↑ Robson 2016, p. 189.
  10. ↑ Robson 2016, p. 191.
  11. ↑ Meseguer, Aldasoro & Sanmartín 2013, p. 386.
  12. 1 2 Thanos, Kaltsis & Koutsovoulou 2013, p. 147.
  13. 1 2 3 Kypriotakis 1995, p. 316.
  14. 1 2 Gotsiou, P.; Kokkinaki, A.; Fournaraki, C.; et al. (30 March 2021). "Hypericum aciferum". IUCN Red List. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Thanos, Kaltsis & Koutsovoulou 2013, p. 153.
  16. ↑ " Hypericum aciferum ". List of rare, threatened and endemic plants in Europe. 1983. pp. 113, 198
  17. ↑ " Hypericum aciferum ". Checklists for the CORINE Biotopes Programme. 1994. pp. 112, appendix 2.
  18. ↑ " Hypericum aciferum ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 1997. p. 297.
  19. 1 2 Thanos et al. 2013, p. 28.
  20. ↑ Thanos et al. 2013, p. 33.
  21. ↑ Krigas et al. 2021, p. 2556.
  22. ↑ Thanos, Costas (2007). "Hypericum aciferum: Description". CretaPlant. Retrieved 3 April 2024.

Bibliography

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