Roscoea cautleyoides

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Roscoea cautleyoides
Roscoea cautleoides cropped.jpg
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Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Roscoea
Species:
R. cautleyoides
Binomial name
Roscoea cautleyoides
Synonyms [2] [3]
  • Roscoea capitata var. purpurataGagnep.
  • Roscoea cautleyoides f. atropurpureaCowley
  • Roscoea cautleyoides var. purpurea(Gagnep.) Stapf
  • Roscoea cautleyoides f. sinopurpureaCowley
  • Roscoea chamaeleonGagnep.
  • Roscoea sinopurpureaStapf
  • Roscoea yunnanensisLoes.
  • Roscoea yunnanensis var. purpurata(Gagnep.) Loes.

Roscoea cautleyoides is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China. [1] The scientific name is also spelt Roscoea cautleoides (see below). 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. [4] It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. [5]

Contents

Description

Roscoea cautleyoides is a perennial herbaceous plant. Like all members of the genus Roscoea, it dies back each year to a short vertical rhizome, to which are attached the tuberous roots. When growth begins again, "pseudostems" are produced: structures which resemble stems but are actually formed from the tightly wrapped bases (sheaths) of its leaves. [6] R. cautleyoides is usually 15–40 cm tall (occasionally up to 60 cm), with three or four leaves. Each leaf has a small ligule, extending to about 1 mm. The blade of the leaf (the part free from the pseudostem) is usually 5–15 cm long (occasionally up to 40 long) by 1.5–3 cm wide. The leaf sheath is smooth (glabrous) or hairy (pubescent), with hairs which are more-or-less bent over (appressed). The lower part of the leaf blade is similar; the upper part is scaly. [4]

In its native habitats, R. cautleyoides flowers between May and August. The flower spike emerges somewhat from the leaf sheaths. One or more flowers open together and may be of various colours: purple, yellow, white or less often pale pink. Green bracts, 4–6 cm long, with brownish veins, subtend the flowers. [4]

Flower of Roscoea cautleyoides showing the petals and staminodes Roscoea cautleoides flower labelled.jpg
Flower of Roscoea cautleyoides showing the petals and staminodes

Each flower has the typical structure for Roscoea. There is a tube-shaped outer calyx, 3–6 cm long, split to the middle on one side with a two-toothed apex. Next the three petals (the corolla) form a tube 3–3.5 cm long, terminating in three lobes, each 2–2.5 cm long: an upright central lobe and two side lobes. Inside the petals are structures formed from four sterile stamens (staminodes): two lateral staminodes form what appear to be small upright petals; two central staminodes are fused at the base to form a lip or labellum, 2.5–3 cm long. This bends backwards and is split at the end into two lobes; the sides are wavy. [4] [6] The single functional stamen has a linear anther, 1–1.5 cm long (including a spur formed from the connective tissue between the two capsules of the anther). [4]

Taxonomy

The specific epithet was originally spelt cautleoides when the species was named in 1901 by the French botanist François Gagnepain. The name was given because of the similarity of this species – particularly the yellow colour of the flowers in some forms – to the taxon Gagnepain knew either as the genus Cautlea or as Roscoea section Cautlea. [7]

However, CautleaRoyle is an invalid name (it was not accepted by the author), and was validated as CautleyaHook.f. (i.e. with an added "y"). [8] The name honours Sir Proby Thomas Cautley. The spelling of Gagnepain's name has been altered to Roscoea cautleyoides by, for example, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. [1] Much of the literature, including the IPNI, still uses the original spelling. [9]

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. [10]

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. cautleyoides falls into the Chinese clade as would be expected from its distribution. It is closely related to R. humeana , R. praecox and R. wardii . [10]

Distribution and habitat

Roscoea cautleyoides occurs in pine forests, low scrub, meadows, and grasslands, between 2,000 and 3,500 metres in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China. [4]

Cultivation

Roscoea cautleyoides 'Early Purple' at RHS Garden, Wisley Roscoea cautleyoides Early Purple.jpg
Roscoea cautleyoides 'Early Purple' at RHS Garden, Wisley

Some Roscoea species and cultivars, including R. cautleyoides, are grown in rock gardens. They 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. cautleyoides has been described as one of the "more commonly grown species" and as a robust plant that can cope with sunnier conditions and drier soil than other species of Roscoea. In cultivation, the various colour forms were noted as flowering at different times, yellow forms usually flowering before purple ones, which could start flowering as late as June in England at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [5]

AGM cultivars

R. cautleyoides was included in a trial of Roscoea held by the Royal Horticultural Society from 2009 to 2011. It proved hardy (rating H4, i.e. hardy anywhere in the British Isles). Six cultivars were given the Award of Garden Merit: [11]

A self-sown yellow seedling with wider leaves and a shorter flower stem (peduncle) than the typical species was initially named R. cautleyoides var. grandiflora and then R. cautleyoides 'Kew Beauty'. [5] It is now thought to be a hybrid between R. cautleyoides and R. humeana . It was also awarded an AGM. [18]

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. While most members of the ginger family are tropical, Roscoea species are native to cooler 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 resemble petals. Some species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens.

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

Cautleya is a small genus of perennial plants of the family Zingiberaceae, found in the eastern Himalayas through to China and Vietnam. It consists of two species of high-altitude tropical and temperate plants, native to cool forest areas – an unusual habitat for members of the Zingiberaceae. They are grown as ornamental flowering plants.

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

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. 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 family Zingiberaceae. 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 also 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 capitata</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea capitata is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the Himalayas, being found in Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. capitata, 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 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.

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

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 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. 1 2 3 WCSP (2011), World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2011-10-03, search for "Roscoea cautleyoides"
  2. ↑ "Roscoea cautleyoides Gagnep". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Roscoea cautleyoides Gagnep". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wu, Delin & Larsen, Kai (2000), "Roscoea cautleoides", in Wu, Zhengyi; Raven, Peter H. & Hong, Deyuan (eds.), Flora of China, Beijing; St. Louis: Science Press; Missouri Botanical Garden, retrieved 2011-10-01
  5. 1 2 3 Wilford, Richard (1999), "Roscoeas for the rock garden", Quarterly Bulletin of the Alpine Garden Society, 67 (1): 93–101
  6. 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 2011-10-01
  7. ↑ Gagnepain, M.F. (1901), publ. 1902, "Zingibéracées nouvelles ou mal connues de l'herbier du muséum: Roscoea cautleoides Gagnep.", Bulletin de la Société botanique de France, 48: LXXV–LXXVI, doi: 10.1080/00378941.1901.10831877 , retrieved 2014-03-20
  8. ↑ IPNI Plant Name Query Results for Cautlea, The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2011-10-03
  9. ↑ IPNI Plant Name Query Results for Roscoea cautleoides, The International Plant Names Index, retrieved 2011-10-03
  10. 1 2 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
  11. ↑ Wilford, Richard (2012), "Roscoea on trial", The Plantsman, New Series, 11 (2): 78–85
  12. ↑ "Roscoea cautleyoides 'Abigail Bloom'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  13. ↑ "Roscoea cautleyoides 'Helen Lamb'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  14. ↑ "Roscoea cautleyoides 'Himalaya'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "Roscoea cautleyoides 'Jeffrey Thomas'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  16. ↑ "Roscoea cautleyoides 'Purple Queen'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  17. ↑ "Roscoea cautleyoides 'Stephanie Bloom'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  18. ↑ "Roscoea 'Kew Beauty'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
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