Roscoea tumjensis

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Roscoea tumjensis
Roscoea tumjensis 120819.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Roscoea
Species:
R. tumjensis
Binomial name
Roscoea tumjensis
Cowley [1]

Roscoea tumjensis is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Himalayas, in Nepal. [1] 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. [2]

Contents

Description

Roscoea tumjensis 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. [3] In the case of R. tumjensis, the flowers appear before the leaves are fully grown. Plants are usually 18–25 cm tall, with four to six leaves. The first three to four consist only of sheaths, which may be marked with purple; the remaining leaves have a blade 4–8 cm by 1.5–4 cm, forming 'ears' (auriculate) at the junction of the blade and sheath. At the junction of the sheath and blade there is also small ligule, extending to 1–2 mm. [2]

The flower spike (inflorescence) is held within the leaves. The flowers may be of various colours from pale lilac through to bright purple. The bracts which subtend the flowers are much shorter than the calyx. [2]

Each flower has the typical structure for Roscoea (see the diagrams in that article). There is a tube-shaped outer calyx, with a three-lobed apex. Next the three petals (the corolla) form a tube, longer than the calyx, terminating in three lobes, an upright central lobe, about 3 cm long by 1.5–2.5 cm wide, and two narrower side lobes, about 3 cm long by about 0.9–1.4 cm wide. Inside the petals are structures formed from four sterile stamens (staminodes): two lateral staminodes form what appear to be small upright petals, which are 1.1–2.2 cm by 0.8–1.3 cm, with a central vein; two central staminodes are partially fused at the base to form a large lip or labellum, 4.5–5.5 cm long by about 3.5–4.5 cm wide. The labellum is split into two lobes at the end for about a quarter of its length. [2] [3]

The single functional stamen has a cream anther, about 6–8 mm long, with 6 mm long spurs formed from the connective tissue between the two capsules of the anther. [2]

The flowers somewhat resemble those of R. humeana . The leaf blades have auriculate (ear-shaped) bases like those of R.auriculata , but the latter has white lateral staminodes with a vein which is not central, whereas R. tumjensis has flowers all of the same colour and lateral staminodes with a central vein. [2]

Taxonomy

Roscoea tumjensis was first described scientifically by Elizabeth Jill Cowley, a botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in 1982. The specific epithet relates to location of the type specimen, which was collected by Gardner near Tumje in Nepal in June 1953. [2]

The specimens collected by Gardner were originally labelled as R. purpurea var. auriculata (now R. auriculata ) and R. chamaeleon (now R. cautleyoides ), until Cowley created the new species. [4]

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. [5]

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. tumjensis falls into the Himalayan clade as would be expected from its distribution. [5]

Distribution and habitat

Roscoea tumjensis occurs in the Himalayas, in central and eastern Nepal. [1] The type specimen was collected at an altitude of 2,740 m. [2]

Cultivation

R. tumjensis is in cultivation in the UK, frequently incorrectly labelled R. brandisii . [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Roscoea</i>

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 auriculata</i>

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 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>

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 kunmingensis</i>

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>

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>

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.

Roscoea cangshanensis 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. canshanensis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea praecox</i>

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.

Roscoea bhutanica is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the mountains of Bhutan and Tibet. Formerly regarded as part of Roscoea tibetica, it was recognized as a separate species in 2000. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. bhutanica, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.

<i>Roscoea australis</i>

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>

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>

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.

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 wardii</i>

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>

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 tumjensis"
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cowley, E.J. (1982), "A revision of Roscoea (Zingiberaceae)", Kew Bulletin, 36 (4): 747–777, doi:10.2307/4117918, JSTOR   4117918 , pp. 755-756
  3. 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
  4. ↑ Cowley, Jill & Wilford, Richard (1998), "Plate 349. Roscoea tumjensis", Curtis's Botanical Magazine, 15 (4): 220–225, doi:10.1111/1467-8748.00176
  5. 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
  6. ↑ "Roscoea brandisii", Jearrard's Herbal, archived from the original on 2012-08-20, retrieved 2012-08-20
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