| Maianthemum amoenum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Nolinoideae |
| Genus: | Maianthemum |
| Species: | M. amoenum |
| Binomial name | |
| Maianthemum amoenum (H.L.Wendl.) LaFrankie | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Maianthemum amoenum is a perennial flowering plant, growing as an epiphyte on trees in cloud forests [2] from Mexico south to Honduras. [1]
Plants are 0.5–0.8 m (20–31 in) tall. Roots grow scattered evenly along densely clumped, rounded rhizomes. Stems are leaning to upright, usually with 6 to 9 leaves (sometimes up to 11), set 2–5 cm (1–2 in) apart.
Leaves usually clasp the stalk; some may have a short (2 mm (0.079 in) long) petiole. Leaf blades are egg-shaped with pointed tips and veins are prominent. The leaf surface is hairless and shiny.
25 to 75 flowers are set on a branched flowering stalk (panicle). The main axis of the panicle is usually 4-6 cm long, stiff and straight. It is hairless and often red or with red patches. The side branches of the panicle are short (1-2 cm long) and arranged in a helix. They start off ascending, but become spreading as the flowers bloom. Each side branch has 3-5 flowers, with one flower set close to the base of the branch and the others set on 1-2 cm long stalks (pedicels) at about 4mm intervals along the branch.
The flowers are cup-shaped and made up of lavender to pink-white tepals up to 6.5 mm long with stamens inserted at the base. Fruits are rounded to 3-lobed, 5-8mm across, green ripening to red. Flowering occurs from January to April and fruits remain on the plant into October.
It has been found in El Salvador, Guatemala (the Totonicapán area), Honduras and in the Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas states of Mexico. [3]
Maianthemum amoenum usually grows as an epiphyte on canopy trees of the cloud forest at 2300 - 3300 m elevation. Plants are usually found 5–15 m (16–49 ft) or more above the ground, but sometimes persist in blow-downs. They can form dense clumps covering canopy trees such as Quercus and Drimys . [2]
Conocarpus erectus, commonly called buttonwood or button mangrove, is a mangrove shrub in the family Combretaceae. This species grows on shorelines in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
Maianthemum is a genus of rhizomatous, herbaceous, perennial flowering plants. It is widespread across much of North America, Europe and Asia, and may be terrestrial, aquatic or epiphytic.
Maianthemum racemosum is a species of flowering plant native to North America. It is a common, widespread plant known from every US state except Hawaii, and from every Canadian province and territory except Nunavut, as well as from Mexico.
Maianthemum stellatum is a species of flowering plant, native across North America generally from Alaska to California to North Carolina to Newfoundland, plus northern Mexico. It has been found in every Canadian province and territory except Nunavut, and from every US state except Hawaii and the states of the Southeast. It has little white buds in the spring, followed by delicate starry flowers, then green-and-black striped berries, and finally deep red berries in the fall.
Guazuma ulmifolia, commonly known as West Indian elm or bay cedar, is a medium-sized tree normally found in pastures and disturbed forests. This flowering plant from the family Malvaceae grows up to 30m in height and 30–40cm in diameter. It is widely found in areas such as the Caribbean, South America, Central America and Mexico serving several uses that vary from its value in carpentry to its utility in medicine.
Serruria elongata or long-stalk spiderhead is a plant belonging to the protea family. It is an erect, hairless shrublet of 1–1½ m (3½–5 ft) high with densely set, alternate, finely divided leaves lower down the plant, with needle-like segments. On top of an up to 30 cm (12 in) long inflorescence stalk are several, loosely arranged heads of pin-like, densely silvery-haired flower buds, each of which opens with four curled, magenta pink corolla lobes. The species is endemic to the southern Western Cape province of South Africa. It flowers during the southern hemisphere winter and early spring, between June and September.
Leucospermum bolusii is a shrub native to South Africa. It grows to 1.5 m in height, and has nearly hairless leaves with a single apical tooth. The leaves are oval shaped and range from 25–45 mm (0.98–1.77 in) in length. The flower heads are about 2 cm in diameter, slightly flattened globe shaped, are set on a stalk of about 1 cm and crowded with up to eight together at the tip of the branches. They each contain 50–100 small, sweetly scented creamy white flowers, that later turn light pink. Flowering takes place between September and December. It is called Gordon's Bay pincushion in English and witluisiesbos in Afrikaans.
Maianthemum paniculatum is a perennial flowering plant; a species of monocot found from Mexico to Panama. It is often associated with montane environments and is found primarily in forest openings and along roadsides.
Leucospermum secundifolium is a low, evergreen shrub that grows along the ground, the tip of the branches slightly rising, which ihs been assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has narrowly elliptic leaves with a distinct leafstalk, and few-flowered and very small heads of 1–1½ cm (0.4–0.6 in) across. It is called stalked pincushion in English. The sweetly scented flower heads may be found around early December. It is an endemic species that only grows in a small area of the Western Cape province of South-Africa.
Vexatorella amoena, also known as the Swartruggens vexator is an evergreen shrub of up to about 1 m (3 ft) high, that is assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has entire, inverted egg-shaped, bluish grey, leathery leaves of 1½–3 cm (0.6–1.2 in) long and 5–11 mm (0.20–0.45 in) wide on a distinct stalk, and globular flower heads of about 2 cm (0.8 in) across with pale pink flowers with extended, thick-tipped styles at the tip of the branches. The plants are flowering from September to November. It is an endemic species that is restricted to the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Mimetes saxatilis or limestone pagoda is an evergreen, upright, rarely branching shrub of 1–2¼ m high, assigned to the family Proteaceae. The approximately oval leaves are 3½–5 cm (1.4–2.0 in) long and 1½–3 cm (0.6–1.2 in) wide with a blunt, thickened, reddish tip or with three crowded teeth. It has cylinder-shaped inflorescences topped by a crest of green leaves, further consisting of heads with 12-22 individual bright yellow flowers, each in the axil of a flat, green leaf. It is an endemic species that is restricted to limestone outcrops in the Agulhas plains in the very south of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is considered an endangered species. Flowering may occur between July and December, but is unreliable in its timing, dependent on sufficient moisture availability.
Maianthemum monteverdense is a perennial flowering plant of restricted distribution. It grows as an epiphyte on trees in high cloud forests of 1600 m + elevation from Nicaragua to Costa Rica.
Maianthemum gigas is a perennial flowering plant. It is found in Mexico and Central America, growing in forest openings and along roadsides or sometimes as an epiphyte on trees.
Maianthemum paludicola is a perennial flowering plant. It is a rare terrestrial herb, endemic to Costa Rica. It has only been found in high-elevation bogs and wetlands and was first described in 1986..
Maianthemum macrophyllum is a perennial flowering plant. It is a rare epiphtic herb endemic to Veracruz and Oaxaca, Mexicoand is known only from primary cloud forests, usually growing on limbs of oaks or sweetgum ..
Maianthemum scilloideum is a perennial flowering plant. It is a terrestrial forest herb from southern Mexico and Guatemalaand also reported in Honduras.
Maianthemum flexuosum is a perennial, terrestrial understory herb of cloud forests from southern Mexico to Nicaragua. It has been found at sites from 1300 to 2800 m elevation.
Maianthemum salvinii is a rare perennial, epiphytic herb found in southern Mexico and Guatemala.
Maianthemum mexicanum is a perennial, terrestrial herb found as an understory species in moist forests. It is endemic to west-central Mexico.
Maianthemum comaltepecense is a rare perennial, terrestrial herb found as an understory species in moist forests and endemic to southwest Mexico.