Roscoea auriculata

Last updated

Roscoea auriculata
Roscoea purpurea 20070810-1338-183 trimmed.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Roscoea
Species:
R. auriculata
Binomial name
Roscoea auriculata
K.Schum. [1]

Roscoea auriculata is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the eastern Himalayas, in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and Sikkim. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. auriculata, like other species of Roscoea , grows in much colder mountainous regions. [2] It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. [3]

Contents

Description

Roscoea auriculata is a perennial herbaceous plant. Like all members of the genus Roscoea, it dies back each year to a short vertical rhizome, to which the tuberous roots are attached. When growth begins again, "pseudostems" are produced: structures which resemble stems but are actually formed from the tightly wrapped bases (sheaths) of its leaves. [4] R. auriculata is usually 20–40 cm tall, with three to seven leaves. The blade of the leaf (the part free from the pseudostem) is 7.5–20 cm long by 2–2.5 cm wide. The leaf sheath is smooth (glabrous) and purple in colour. [2] At the junction of the blade and sheath there are ear-shaped (auriculate) outgrowths. [5]

In its native habitats, R. auriculata flowers between June and August. The stem (peduncle) of the flower spike does not emerge from the leaf sheaths. Several purple or white flowers are produced. Membranous bracts, 2–2.5 cm long subtend the flowers. [2]

Each flower has the typical structure for Roscoea (see that article for labelled images). There is a tube-shaped outer calyx, about 3.5 cm long. Next the three petals (the corolla) form a tube longer than the calyx, terminating in three lobes, each about 3–3.5 cm long: an upright central lobe and two slightly shorter side lobes. Inside the petals are structures formed from four sterile stamens (staminodes): two lateral staminodes form what appear to be small white petals, about 1.5–2 cm long, upright and hooded; two central staminodes are fused at the base to form a lip or labellum, about 3.3–4.8 cm long by 3 cm wide. This is bent backwards and split at the end into two lobes. [2] [6] [4]

The single functional stamen has a linear anther, about 1 cm long, borne on a 1 cm long filament. A short spur is formed from the connective tissue between the two capsules of the anther. After flowering, a capsule 2–3 cm in length is formed containing brown seeds. [2]

Taxonomy

The species was named by Karl Moritz Schumann, a German botanist, in 1904. In 1966, H. Hara reduced it to a variety of a different species, Roscoea purpurea var. auriculata. However, more recent sources have maintained it as a separate species. [7] [8]

The specific epithet auriculata refers to the two ear-shaped (auriculate) outgrowths at the junctions of the leaf blades and sheaths. [3]

Evolution and phylogeny

The family Zingiberaceae is mainly tropical in distribution. The unusual mountainous distribution of Roscoea may have evolved relatively recently and be a response to the uplift taking place in the region in the last 50 million years or so due to the collision of the Indian and Asian tectonic plates. [8]

Species of Roscoea divide into two clear groups, a Himalayan clade and a "Chinese" clade (which includes some species from outside China). The two clades correspond to a geographical separation, their main distributions being divided by the Brahmaputra River as it flows south at the end of the Himalayan mountain chain. It has been suggested that the genus may have originated in this area and then spread westwards along the Himalayas and eastwards into the mountains of China and its southern neighbours. R. auriculata falls into the Himalayan clade as would be expected from its distribution. It appears to be closely related to R. alpina . [8]

Distribution and habitat

Roscoea auriculata occurs in grasslands, between 2,400 and 2,700 metres in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and Sikkim. [2]

Cultivation

Jill Cowley notes that R. auriculata has been grown in gardens "for many years" under the name of a different species, R. purpurea . She provides a number of distinguishing features, which include the auriculate nature of the leaves, the bright purple colour of the flowers rather than the paler colours of R. purpurea, the relatively shorter white lateral staminodes of R. auriculata, and the latter's deflexed (bent back) labellum. [6]

R. auriculata, like other Roscoea species and cultivars, is often grown in rock gardens. Plants generally require a relatively sunny position with moisture-retaining but well-drained soil. As they do not appear above ground until late spring or even early summer, they escape frost damage in regions where subzero temperatures occur. R. auriculata has been described as one of the "most commonly grown and easy species". When grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, it was given a position which was sunny in the morning but shaded in the afternoon; it should not be planted in full sun or in too hot a position. Deep violet-purple and white forms are in cultivation. [3] A form with large, richly coloured flowers is grown as Roscoea auriculata 'Floriade'. [9]

R. auriculata and some of its cultivars were included in a trial of Roscoea held by the Royal Horticultural Society from 2009 to 2011. All proved hardy (rating H4, i.e. hardy anywhere in the British Isles), flowering between July and September. The Award of Garden Merit was given to the species and its cultivar 'Summer Deep Purple'. The cultivar is similar to the more typical forms of the species but taller, with many flowers and a long flowering season. [10]

For propagation, see Roscoea: Cultivation.

Related Research Articles

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

Roscoea is a genus of perennial plants of the family Zingiberaceae. Most members of the family are tropical, whereas Roscoea species are native to mountainous regions of the Himalayas, China and its southern neighbours. Roscoea flowers superficially resemble orchids, although they are not related. The flowers of Roscoea have a complicated structure, in which some of the showy coloured parts are not formed by petals, but by staminodes, sterile stamens which have evolved to become like petals. Some species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens.

<i>Roscoea cautleyoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea cautleyoides is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China. The scientific name is also spelt Roscoea cautleoides. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. cautleyoides, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.

<i>Roscoea humeana</i> Species of plant

Roscoea humeana is a species of flowering plant in the Zingiberaceae family. It is a perennial occurring in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China. Most members of the ginger family, to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. humeana, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.

<i>Roscoea purpurea</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea purpurea is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Himalayas, particularly Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but species of Roscoea grow in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.

<i>Roscoea alpina</i> Species of plant

Roscoea alpina is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the Himalayas. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. alpina, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.

<i>Roscoea tibetica</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea tibetica is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the mountains of China, being found in Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan. The species formerly included plants found in Bhutan; in 2000, these were separated into a new species, Roscoea bhutanica. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. tibetica, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. R. tibetica is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. In 2020, it was proposed that R. tibetica be split again.

<i>Roscoea kunmingensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea kunmingensis is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the mountains of China, being found in Yunnan. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. kunmingensis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea forrestii</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea forrestii is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. forrestii, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. It was named after George Forrest (1873–1932) who discovered it in Yunnan.

<i>Roscoea tumjensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea tumjensis is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Himalayas, in Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. tumjensis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea praecox</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea praecox is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Yunnan province of China. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. praecox, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.

<i>Roscoea australis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea australis is a perennial herbaceous plant found in Burma, to the south of all other members of the genus. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. australis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

Roscoea brandisii is a species of herbaceous flowering plant in the Zingiberaceae family. It is a perennial found in the state of Meghalaya, India. Most members of the ginger family, to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. brandisii, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea nepalensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea nepalensis is a perennial herbaceous plant found in Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. nepalensis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea debilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea debilis is a perennial herbaceous plant found in Yunnan, China. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. debilis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea schneideriana</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea schneideriana is a perennial herbaceous plant found in China, in Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. schneideriana, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

Roscoea ngainoi is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Ukhrul district of Manipur state, India. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but like other species of Roscoea, R. ngainoi grows in much colder mountainous regions.

Roscoea ganeshensis is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in Ganesh Himal in central Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but like other species of Roscoea, R. ganeshensis grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is used as an ornamental garden plant, requiring moisture and shade in the summer.

<i>Roscoea <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> beesiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea × beesiana is considered to be a hybrid between R. auriculata and R. cautleyoides which occurred in cultivation. The flowers are variable: most forms have a pale cream base colour with varying amounts of purple streaking, particularly on the lip or labellum. It was given the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society in 2011. It is classified as being hardy throughout the British Isles.

<i>Roscoea wardii</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea wardii is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring from eastern Arunachal Pradesh in India to western Yunnan in China. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but like other species of Roscoea, R. wardii grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea scillifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea scillifolia is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in Yunnan in China. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but like other species of Roscoea, R. scillifolia grows in much colder mountainous regions. As of 2013, the species is only known in cultivation and may be extinct in the wild.

References

  1. ↑ WCSP (2011), World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2011-10-04, search for "Roscoea auriculata"
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wu, Delin & Larsen, Kai (2000), "Roscoea auriculata", in Wu, Zhengyi; Raven, Peter H. & Hong, Deyuan (eds.), Flora of China Vol. 24, Beijing; St. Louis: Science Press; Missouri Botanical Garden, retrieved 2011-10-01
  3. 1 2 3 Wilford, Richard (1999), "Roscoeas for the rock garden", Quarterly Bulletin of the Alpine Garden Society, 67 (1): 93–101
  4. 1 2 Wu, Delin & Larsen, Kai (2000), "Roscoea", in Wu, Zhengyi; Raven, Peter H. & Hong, Deyuan (eds.), Flora of China Vol. 24, Beijing; St. Louis: Science Press; Missouri Botanical Garden, retrieved 2011-10-04
  5. ↑ Beckett, K., ed. (1994), Encyclopaedia of Alpines : Volume 2 (L–Z), Pershore, UK: AGS Publications, ISBN   978-0-900048-62-3 , p. 1126
  6. 1 2 Cowley, E.J. (1982), "A revision of Roscoea (Zingiberaceae)", Kew Bulletin, 36 (4): 747–777, doi:10.2307/4117918, JSTOR   4117918
  7. ↑ IPNI Plant Name Query Results for Roscoea auriculata, The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2011-10-04
  8. 1 2 3 Ngamriabsakul, C.; Newman, M.F. & Cronk, Q.C.B. (2000), "Phylogeny and disjunction in Roscoea (Zingiberaceae )" (PDF), Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 57 (1): 39–61, doi:10.1017/s0960428600000032 , retrieved 2011-10-03
  9. ↑ Roscoea auriculata Floriade, rareplants.co.uk, archived from the original on 2012-06-07, retrieved 2011-10-04
  10. ↑ Wilford, Richard (2012), "Roscoea on trial", The Plantsman, New Series, 11 (2): 78–85
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.