Triphyophyllum
Genus of carnivorous plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Triphyophyllum peltatum is a facultatively carnivorous,[3] up to 60 m (200 ft) tall vine[4] in the monotypic genus Triphyophyllum /ˌtrɪfioʊˈfɪləm/ in the family Dioncophyllaceae native to tropical western Africa, in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone[5] where it grows in tropical rainforest.[4]
_©_W._Barthlott.jpg)
| Triphyophyllum | |
|---|---|
| |
| Climbing adult Triphyophyllum with hooked leaves | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Dioncophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Triphyophyllum Airy Shaw |
| Species: | T. peltatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Triphyophyllum peltatum | |
 | |
| Triphyophyllum is native to Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone[2] | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Description
_©_W._Barthlott.jpg)
_©_W._Barthlott.jpg)
_©_W._Barthlott.jpg)
Vegetative characteristics
It is a facultatively carnivorous, heterophyllous,[6] up to 60 m (200 ft) tall vine with glabrous, terete stems.[7] It has a three-stage lifecycle, each with a different shaped leaf, as indicated by its Greek name. In the first stage, T. peltatum forms a rosette of simple lanceolate Dracaena-like leaves about 18 cm (7.1 in) in length with undulate margins. At times when there is insufficient phosphorus in the soil[8][9] it develops long, slender, glandular, circinate leaves up to 35 cm (14 in) in length and bearing two sorts of glands, and resembling those of the related Drosophyllum, which capture insects; there being one to three of these leaves in each rosette.[10] In the plant's adult liana form it has short non-carnivorous leaves bearing a pair of "grappling hooks" [11] at their tips on a long twining stem which can become 50 metres (160 ft) in length and 10 centimetres (3.9 in) thick.[12][13] T. peltatum is the largest of all confirmed carnivorous plants in the world, but its carnivorous nature did not become known until 1979, over 50 years after the plant's scientific description.[6]
Generative characteristics
The axillary,[14][15] branched,[16] cymose, few-flowered[15] or many-flowered inflorescence bears up to 80 small, ephemeral,[16] fragrant,[14] white to pink,[16] bisexual, actinomorphic, pedicellate flowers.[15] The pedicel is up to 3 cm long. The flower has 5 triangular, 2 mm long sepals, and 5 obovate, 13 mm long petals.[15] The androecium consists of 10 stamens.[15][7] The style is very short.[7] The up to 4 cm wide, 1-seeded,[15] 4–5-valved capsule fruit[7][15] bears discoid, papery,[15] flat, winged, circular, pink to red,[14] 5–8[7](–10) cm wide seeds[17][14] with an up to 5.5 cm (2.2 in) long funiculus extending beyond the fruit.[15] Most of the seed's development occurs outside the fruit.[18] The seeds are wind-dispersed.[7][19]
Cytology
Taxonomy
Triphyophyllum peltatum was first described as Dioncophyllum peltatum Hutch. & Dalziel by John Hutchinson and John McEwan Dalziel in 1927.[2] It was moved to a new monotypic genus Triphyophyllum Airy Shaw as Triphyophyllum peltatum (Hutch. & Dalziel) Airy Shaw by Herbert Kenneth Airy Shaw in 1952.[5][2]
Etymology
The generic name Triphyophyllum is derived from triphyes meaning of threefold form,[20] and phyllum meaning leaf.[21] It refers to the three growth stages of the plant with three different types of leaves.[8] The specific epithet peltatum means shield-like[22] and refers to the discoid seeds,[19] which have a long stalk that extends the seed beyond the capsule fruit.[15]
Distribution and habitat
Triphyophyllum is found in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone,[5] where it occurs in primary[7] and old secondary dry evergreen rainforests. The habitat has a 6–7 month dry season. The acid, nutrient-poor soil is shallow.[6]
Conservation
It is a rare and endangered species,[8] classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.[1] Its population is declining, primarily due to habitat destruction from logging and mining.[1]
Cultivation
Uses
Triphyophyllum peltatum is traditionally used in folk medicine in the treatment of elephantiasis[15][7] and malaria.[7] It produces many pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites, some of which have been found to have strong antiplasmodial activity. Some metabolites were found to have antitumoral and anti-multiple myeloma activity.[8] The stems are used as tying material.[15]