Moneses

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Moneses
Moneses uniflora 1437.JPG
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Subfamily: Pyroloideae
Genus: Moneses
Salisb. ex Gray
Species:
M. uniflora
Binomial name
Moneses uniflora

Moneses uniflora, the one-flowered wintergreen (British Isles), [2] single delight, wax-flower, [3] shy maiden, star of Bethlehem (Aleutians) [4] , St. Olaf's candlestick (Norway), wood nymph, or frog's reading lamp, [5] is a plant of the family of Ericaceae, that is indigenous to moist coniferous forests in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere from Spain to Japan and across North America. It is the sole member of genus Moneses.

Contents

Taxonomy

The genus Moneses originates from the Greek work moses, which translates to 'solitary,' and hesia, meaning 'delight,' referencing the single flower which blooms on the plant. [6] The plant is also referred to as wood nymph, referencing a nature goddess figure in Greek mythology that lived in forests and resembled beautiful women. [6]

Description and range

Moneses uniflora is a small plant, typically no taller than 10 cm tall. [6] A perennial herb with a slender rhizome, the leaves are basal or low, oval-elliptic to obovate, from 10 to 30 mm in diameter, with small teeth. The petiole is shorter than the leaf diameter. Each stem terminates in a nodding, fragrant flower on a stem from 30 to 170 mm high. The corolla has a diameter of 15 to 25 mm. The spreading five white petals are slightly rumpled and are said to resemble an open white umbrella. [6] The sepals are oval, separate and white-greenish. The flower has ten anthers, a noticeable style, and a distinctive five-pronged stigma. [6] Flowering occurs from May to October. [7]

Moneses uniflora has floral features (like poricidal anthers and small apical pores) consistent with flowers that reproduce through buzz pollination. [8] The single delight's nodding flower and anther's small apical pores allow for bees in flight to sonicate mid-flight, releasing and transferring pollen between flowers. [8] Although attractive to bees, the flower produces no nectar, and reproduces through seed. [9]

The plant grows in moist forest environments in the holartic realm [10] and is commonly found across North America and Eurasia. [11] The plant flourishes in coniferous forest conditions in cooler temperatures, [7] and is often found growing on moss and rotting plant material. [11]

Use in Indigenous cultures

Moneses uniflora has long and significant histories with several Indigenous nations across North America.

The Haida people harvested Moneses uniflora in July then dried it. The flower and fruit-producing parts of the plant were removed, while the vegetative parts were boiled into a tea, [12] sometimes with licorice fern and Labrador tea. [11] The tea was used to soothe colds, the flu, smallpox and cancer. The Haida people also drank it for power and luck. [12] In one Haida story, [13] (the "Copper Salmon"), the gambling son of a chief is sent to the forest to consume medicine; first devil's club, then Moneses uniflora or in the Haida language, xiláawg [14] . Consuming these plants cleanses his intestines and gives him the power to stop his behaviour.

The Makah people also boiled Moneses uniflora with Labrador tea and licorice fern, using the entire plant to soothe coughs. [12] They also used the plant to draw blisters. [15]

The Kwakwaka'wakw people have used Moneses uniflora in poultices for swelling and pain, as it causes blisters. [12] The blisters would be opened with broken mussel shells and smeared with catfish oil. [15] When the loose skin peeled off, the site would be washed with gooseberry root extract and covered with plantain leaves until healed. [15]

Applications in Science

Several First Nations within North America have indicated Moneses uniflora as a traditional medicine for tuberculosis. [7] Some scientific studies have explored the antifungal/viral/biotic properties of single delight flower extracts, and found that aerial parts from Moneses uniflora have inhibited growth against M. tuberculosis and M. avium mycobacteria. [7] [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stamen</span> Male organ of a flower

The stamen is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devil's club</span> Species of flowering plant

Devil's club or Devil's walking stick is a large understory shrub native to the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, but also disjunct on islands in Lake Superior. It is noted for its large palmate leaves and erect, woody stems covered in noxious and irritating spines. It is also known as Alaskan ginseng and similar names, although it is not a true ginseng.

<i>Rubus spectabilis</i> Plant species

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<i>Gaultheria shallon</i> Species of flowering plant

Gaultheria shallon is an evergreen shrub in the heather family (Ericaceae), native to western North America. In English, it is known as salal, shallon, or gaultheria.

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

Clintonia is a genus of flowering plants in the lily family Liliaceae. Plants of the genus are distributed across the temperate regions of North America and eastern Asia, in the mesic understory of deciduous or coniferous forests. The genus, first described by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1818, was named for DeWitt Clinton (1769–1828), a naturalist and politician from the U.S. state of New York. For this reason, plants of the genus are commonly known as Clinton's lily. The common name bluebead refer to the distinctive fruit of members of the genus. Since fruit color varies somewhat across species, the common name bead lily is used as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buzz pollination</span> Technique used by bees to release pollen

Buzz pollination or sonication is a technique used by some bees, such as solitary bees and bumblebees, to release pollen which is more or less firmly held by the anthers. The anthers of buzz-pollinated plant species are typically tubular, with an opening at only one end, and the pollen inside is smooth-grained and firmly attached. With self-fertile plants such as tomatoes, wind may be sufficient to shake loose the pollen through pores in the anther and accomplish pollination. Visits by bees may also shake loose some pollen, but more efficient pollination of those plants is accomplished by a few insect species who specialize in sonication or buzz pollination.

<i>Polystichum munitum</i> Western North American fern

Polystichum munitum, the western swordfern, is an evergreen perennial fern native to western North America, where it is one of the most abundant ferns in forested areas. It occurs along the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to southern California, and also inland east to southeastern British Columbia, northern Idaho and western Montana, with disjunctive populations in northern British Columbia, Canada; the Black Hills in South Dakota, United States; and Guadalupe Island off of Baja California, Mexico. Western swordfern is known to have locally naturalized in parts of Great Britain and Ireland.

<i>Cornus canadensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Cornus canadensis is a species of flowering plant in the dogwood family Cornaceae, native to eastern Asia and North America. Common names include Canadian dwarf cornel, Canadian bunchberry, quatre-temps, crackerberry, and creeping dogwood. Unlike its relatives, which are for the most part substantial trees and shrubs, C. canadensis is a creeping, rhizomatous perennial growing to about 20 centimetres tall.

<i>Monotropa uniflora</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Monotropa uniflora, also known as ghost plant, ghost pipe, or Indian pipe, is an herbaceous perennial flowering plant native to temperate regions of Asia, North America, and northern South America, but with large gaps between areas. The plant is waxy white, but some specimens have been described as having black flecks or pale pink coloration. Rare variants may have a deep red color. The name "Monotropa" is Greek for "one turn" and "uniflora" is Latin for "one flowered" as there is one sharply curved stem for each single flower. M.uniflora is commonly found growing in clumps of 2 or more, with its fungal source nearby.

<i>Kalmia polifolia</i> Species of shrub

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<i>Lonicera involucrata</i> Species of honeysuckle

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<i>Clintonia uniflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Clintonia uniflora, commonly known as bride's bonnet, queen's cup, or bead lily, is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae. The specific epithet uniflora means "one-flowered", a characteristic that distinguishes this species from others in the genus Clintonia. For this reason, it is also known as the single-flowered clintonia.

<i>Erythronium montanum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Erythronium oregonum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Polypodium glycyrrhiza</i> Species of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae

Polypodium glycyrrhiza, commonly known as licorice fern, many-footed fern, and sweet root, is a summer deciduous fern native to western North America, where it is found in shaded, damp locations.

<i>Viburnum edule</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae

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<i>Rubus pubescens</i> Berry and plant

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monotropoideae</span> Subfamily of flowering plants in the heather family Ericaceae

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<i>Pachycentria glauca</i> Species of shrub in Melastomataceae family

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James "Jim" Joseph Pojar Is an American-Canadian field botanist, forester, and ecologist. In 2015 the Canadian Botanical Association awarded him the George Lawson Medal for lifetime achievement.

References

  1. NatureServe (2024). "Moneses uniflora". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. Pojar, Jim; MacKinnon, Andy (2004). Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Vancouver, Canada: Lone Pine Publishing. p. 224. ISBN   1-55105-530-9.
  4. "SINGLE DELIGHT, SHY MAIDEN (LOCALLY STAR OF BETHLEHEM)". Alutiiq Museum Archaeological Repository. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  5. Garibaldi, Ann (1999). Medicinal Flora of the Alaska Natives. Anchorage, Alaska, United States: Alaska Natural Heritage Program. p. 104.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Jennings, Neil L. (2006). Uncommon beauty : wildflowers and flowering shrubs of southern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. Victoria, B.C.: Rocky Mountain Books. ISBN   978-1-897522-75-2. OCLC   288057618.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Li, Haoxin; Bos, Allyson; Jean, Stéphanie; Webster, Duncan; Robichaud, Gilles A.; Johnson, John A.; Gray, Christopher A. (2018-10-01). "Antimycobacterial 1,4-napthoquinone[sic] natural products from Moneses uniflora". Phytochemistry Letters. 27: 229–233. doi:10.1016/j.phytol.2018.07.032. ISSN   1874-3900. S2CID   92276948.
  8. 1 2 Knudsen, Jette T.; Olesen, Jens Mogens (1993). "Buzz-Pollination and Patterns in Sexual Traits in North European Pyrolaceae". American Journal of Botany. 80 (8): 900–913. doi:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1993.tb15311.x. ISSN   1537-2197.
  9. "Wood Nymph". www.fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  10. Egorov, Alexey V.; Zernov, Alexander S.; Onipchenko, Vladimir G. (2020), Noroozi, Jalil (ed.), "North-Western Caucasus", Plant Biogeography and Vegetation of High Mountains of Central and South-West Asia, vol. 17, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 315–360, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-45212-4_9, ISBN   978-3-030-45211-7, S2CID   226671919 , retrieved 2021-12-06
  11. 1 2 3 "Single delight • Moneses uniflora". Biodiversity of the Central Coast. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  12. 1 2 3 4 B., Pojar, Jim, 1948- MacKinnon, A. (Andrew), 1956- Alaback, Paul. Plants of coastal British Columbia : including Washington, Oregon & Alaska. OCLC   1057317701.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. Swanton, John Reed (1975). Haida texts--Masset dialect. AMS Press. ISBN   0-404-58127-7. OCLC   1229352.
  14. "Sealaskaheritage.com" (PDF). sealaskaheritage.com. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  15. 1 2 3 Turner, Nancy Chapman; Bell, Marcus A. M. (July 1973). "The ethnobotany of the Southern Kwakiutl Indians of British Columbia". Economic Botany. 27 (3): 257–310. doi:10.1007/bf02907532. ISSN   0013-0001. S2CID   32072555.
  16. McCutcheon, A.R.; Stokes, R.W.; Thorson, L.M.; Ellis, S.M.; Hancock, R.E.W.; Towers, G.H.N. (1997-01-01). "Anti-Mycobacterial Screening of British Columbian Medicinal Plants". International Journal of Pharmacognosy. 35 (2): 77–83. doi: 10.1076/phbi.35.2.77.13284 . ISSN   0925-1618.