Bartsia
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Alpine helmet ( Bartsia alpina ) |
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Bartsia is a genus of the family of Broomrape family (Orobanchaceae). These semi-parasites (hemiparasites) are predominantly perennial, but also annual herbaceous plants .
German names for the genus are "Bartschie" or "Alpenhelm". The latter name corresponds to the common name of the species Bartsia alpina , but is rather inappropriate as a generic name, since of the approximately 50 Bartsia species only this occurs in the Alps of Europe.
description
Bartsia species are predominantly perennial, but also annual herbaceous plants .
ecology
Bartsia species are semi-parasites (hemiparasites).
Pollination biology
There are three forms of pollination within the genus: bee pollination (melittophilia), bird pollination (ornithophilia) and self-pollination (autogamy). While the last two are restricted to certain derived species groups, the majority of the Bartsia species are pollinated by bumblebees (bees of the genus Bombus ). Bee pollination is thus obviously the underlying pollination syndrome of the genus.
In the Holarctic, there is a single Bartsia species, the alpine helmets, and a large number of bumblebee species; in the montane areas of the Neotropic it is exactly the opposite: relatively few bumblebee species contain a large number of Bartsia species. Such conditions generally promote the ecological niche division , which in some cases has led to box differentiation within the pollinator species: Bartsia laticrenata is pollinated by the long- nosed Bombus funebris queens, while the smaller-flowered Bartsia melampyroides is pollinated by the short-nosed workers of the same bumblebee species. Hummel pollinated Bartsia styles are mostly diploid, perennial herbaceous plants or shrubs half with loose buds ( inflorescences ) and medium (15-30 mm long), vorweiblichen ( protogynen ) flowers. On the basis of morphological criteria, the afromontane representatives, whose pollination biology has not yet been well studied, can also be assigned to the melittophilic species.
Bird pollination, on the other hand, is only known from South American Bartsia species, where many species of the Laxae section and two specialized species of the Diffusae section ( Bartsia serrata , Bartsia tricolor ) are pollinated by hummingbirds . Bird-pollinated Bartsia species are relatively tall herbs or subshrubs with large inflorescences; the flowers are bright red and larger than related, non-ornithophilic species.
In striking contrast, there are some low-growing Bartsia species of the high Andes with dense inflorescences and only weakly colored, almost cleistogamous flowers, which are often more or less hidden between the leaf-like bracts. These species are limited to habitats above the tree line, where the harsh weather conditions are often unfavorable for animal pollination ( zoogamy ). Self-pollination is the only reliable method of reproduction for these species, most of which belong to the Strictae section . Therefore, almost all species of this distribution type are at least optionally autogamous. Most of the predominantly autogamous species are also tetraploid (see below).
Propagation Biology
Dry, egg-shaped to hemispherical, two-lobed, many-seeded capsule fruits develop . The 20 to 200 seeds per fruit are light, dry, almost white and have 6 to 13 wings, which are reduced to ridges or ribs in some types of dry habitats.
Because of the winged seeds, Bartsia has long been classified as wind dispersed (anemochor). However, Molau (1990) doubts this anemochory on the basis of his own field tests. Instead, he proposes a two-stage spreading mechanism in which the seeds are first released en masse from the mature capsules into the vicinity of the mother plant. On the ground, they absorb water so that in the second step they can effectively adhere to smooth, moist surfaces (such as the mouths and hooves of grazing animals) with the help of their wetted wings (“ adhesive zoochory ”). In this way, at least a small part of the seeds can travel distances of up to several kilometers.
Since the seeds are buoyant, water dispersion ( hydrochory ) also plays a role, as the occurrence of Bartsia alpina on lake shores and large rivers far below their actual alpine and subalpine habitats shows.
Cytology
The basic chromosome number is x = 12. Most Bartsia species are diploid (2n = 24). Tetraploid species (2n = 48) are known from all Andes sections, in the section Strictae tetraploidy is predominant.
Occurrence
The entire area of the genus is strongly fragmented ( disjoint ), with three main distribution areas:
- South American Andes (sections 4–7): neotropical
- High mountains of tropical East Africa ( Longiflorae section ): Afromontane forests
- Europe and Northeast America (Section Bartsia ): circumpolar - amphiatlantic
Bartsia trixago ( Bellardia section ) originally probably comes from the Mediterranean area, but has been transported around the world and is now found in all subtropical and many tropical parts of the world.
The diversity center with 45 species is therefore in South America. In contrast, Africa is assumed to be the center of origin, since the species occurring there are the most original representatives of the genus.
As typical elements of the alpine flora of Europe, Africa and South America, the Bartsia species mostly colonize open, full sun locations (meadows, spring and flat moors, clearings) in the area of the tree line and above it. The few species found in lower elevations ( Bartsia trixago , some populations of Bartsia alpina ) can be found either in fens or in disturbed habitats such as pastures and fields.
Systematics
The genus Bartsia was established in 1737 by Carl von Linné in the Hortus Cliffortianus and named in honor of the German doctor Johann Bartsch (1709 - 1738). Of its original five species, according to some authors, only two species ( Bartsia alpina and Bartsia trixago ) are listed in this genus. Other species such as Bartsia viscosa are assigned to the genus Parentucellia and Bartsia coccinea and Bartsia pallida to the genus Castilleja .
Bartsia trixago is also placed in the genus Bellardia by various authors (= Bellardia trixago (L.) All. ).
According to Molau (1990) the genus contains 49 species in 7 sections:
- Section Bartsia (a species: Bartsia alpina , alpine helmet)
- Section Bellardia (All.) Molau (a species: Bartsia trixago , Bunte Bellardie)
- Section Longiflorae Molau (two species)
- Section Orthocarpiflorae Molau (nine species)
- Section Strictae Molau (six species)
- Section Laxae Molau (ten species)
- Section Diffusae Molau (20 species)
Here is a list of the types (selection):
- Alpine helmet ( Bartsia alpina L. )
- Bartsia aspera (bread.) Lange : It occurs in Morocco, Spain and Portugal. Some authors put it as Nothobartsia aspera (bread.) Bolliger & Molau to the genus Nothobartsia .
- Bartsia mutica (Kunth) Benth. : It occurs in Ecuador and Peru.
- Bartsia spicata Ramond : It occurs in Spain and France. Some authors put it as Nothobartsia spicata (Ramond) Bolliger & Molau to the genus Nothobartsia .
- Bartsia thiantha Diels : It occurs in Peru.
- Colorful Bellardia ( Bartsia trixago L. , Syn .: Bellardia trixago (L.) All. )
literature
- Ulf Molau: The genus Bartsia (Scrophulariaceae, Rhinanthoideae). In: Opera Botanica 102, Copenhagen 1990, pp. 1-99.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Lotte Burkhardt: Directory of eponymous plant names . Extended Edition. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Free University Berlin Berlin 2018. [1]
- ^ A b c Bartsia in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ↑ a b c Karol Marhold, 2011: Orobanchaceae : Bartsia data sheet In: Euro + Med Plantbase - the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity.
