When time and funding permit, each flower (each plant species) will have its own page, and its own PDF, and eventually its own PPT so that professors and students have plenty of material on Guatemala (and Honduras, etc) to study.
Heliconia adflexa, Coban, Guatemala, Hotel Monja Blanca, FLAAR, by Nicholas Hellmuth
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Hibiscus pernambucensis, Malvaceae, mucilage and extrafloral nectaries |
General information on the species Hibiscus pernambucensis Arruda, commonly known as Majagua and Seaside mahoe, is a shrubby species found frequently along the Brazilian coast, in mangrove and beach areas, although the species is native to coastal areas of Bermuda, southern Florida, the Bahamas, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, and from Mexico to the Atlantic and Pacific coastal habitats of South America (Cogni et al., 2003). It can grow like a tree the bark of the branches and trunk is gray an smooth, but it can present scales on old trees. The leaves are almost round (10-15 cm in diameter) and it produces large yellow flowers that change color to orange or red as they grow (CONABIO, 2012). One taxonomic and ecological characteristics in representatives of Malvaceae is the presence of mucilage, both in vegetative and reproductive organs, produced by various secretory structures including canals and cavities (Rocha et al., 2011). There have been few studies about mucilage and the diversity of secretory structures in Hibiscus L. Mucilages, secretions consisting mainly of proteins and phenolic substances, are widely distributed in plants, forming solutions that, in contact with water, become viscous (Rocha et al., 2011). These substances can perform different functions in plants according to Rocha et al. (2011) including:
This last function is the most important when it comes to H. pernambucensis. This plant has a lot of leaves consumed by herbivores and it has several strategies that provide defense against herbivory (Mistretta, 2010). Biotic defense is one in which the production of food rewards, like extrafloral nectaries (EFN) attract other organisms that protect the plant from herbivores (Mistretta, 2010). Extrafloral nectaries are nectar-producing structures that, unlike floral nectaries, are not directly related to pollination (Mistretta, 2010). EFNs are plant secretory glands most commonly linked to defensive mutualisms (Rocha and Rodrigues, 2009). In Malvaceae, EFNs occur in form of furrows, chambers or depressions coated with multicellular secretory trichomes (Rocha and Rodrigues, 2009). These nectaries represent an abundant food resource and are visited by several ant species that generally exhibit aggressive behavior against herbivores (Mistretta, 2010). It general, the result of this interaction culminates in benefits for both the visitors and the plant, that is why it’s consider as mutualism. Despite the representativeness of Malvaceae in tropical ecosystems, the secretory structure and activity of EFNs have been investigated in only a few members of this family, including Hibiscus, especially H. rosa-sinensis L. and H. pernambucensis (Rocha and Rodrigues, 2009). Taxonomy
Uses of H. pernambucensis
The economic and ecological importance of H. pernambucensis has been highlighted by different authors:
This species has been widely studied in Brasil. Here we present a selected bibliography for you to learn more about H. pernambucensis and some studies involving it. References Cited and Suggested Reading on Hibiscus pernambucensis
Suggested websites for Hibiscus pernambucensis https://enciclovida.mx/especies/165250
First posted November, 2022. |