Climbing candlestick flower
| Climbing candlestick flower | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Climbing candlestick flower ( Ceropegia sandersonii ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ceropegia sandersonii | ||||||||||||
| Decne. |
The climbing candlestick flower ( Ceropegia sandersonii ), sometimes also called parachute candlestick flower or just parachute flower, is a type of plant from the genus of candlestick flowers ( Ceropegia ) within the subfamily of silk plants (Asclepiadoideae). The specific epithet honors the journalist John Sanderson (1820–1881).
features
The climbing candlestick has up to 2 meters long twisting or climbing stems. The stems are bare, not very branched and measure about 4 to 5 mm in diameter. The fleshy roots are long and tufted. The persistent, fleshy leaves are about 2.5 cm long, oval-pointed and stalked.
The inflorescence is one to four flowers and sessile or short stalked. Several flowers are always formed over a longer period of time. The flower is slightly curved to almost straight and up to 7 cm in size. The crown cup is short-cylindrical and up to about 6 mm in diameter and light green. The funnel-shaped corolla-tube measures about 3 mm in diameter at the base and increases continuously to up to 2.5 cm. It has white and light green vertical stripes on the outside. The corolla lobes are initially narrow at the bottom, then bent horizontally, strongly broadening and fused in the center. The center of the umbrella is often recessed a little and drawn out to a narrow point. The edges are covered with fine, light hair and are often slightly curved upwards. The underside of the shade (these are the insides of the corolla lobes) is speckled dark green, the speckles shine through to the top.
The two follicles are spread apart at an obtuse angle, rarely also individually. They are warty, up to 13 cm long and 8 mm in diameter.
Occurrence
This species is native to Mozambique , South Africa, and Swaziland . It is now also grown in specialist nurseries in Europe and is available in stores. She is one of the most frequently offered commercially Ceropegia species.
Systematics
The former species Ceropegia monteiroae Hook. f. Today, depending on the author, is mostly only considered as a variety or form of Ceropegia sandersonii . It differs from the typical shape by the smaller umbrellas and the dark, fringed hair.
Flower ecology
The flowers of Ceropegia sandersonii produce a scent that attracts kleptoparasitic flies of the genus Desmotepa ( Milichiidae ). Studies have shown that the substances contained in the alarm pheromones that bees secrete in stressful situations, for example in a spider's web, to warn other members of their own species of danger. This attracts the flies, which then compete with the other predator. Fooled by the scent of flowers, they get into the cup-shaped flowers, where they remain for some time, thus ensuring pollination (chemical mimicry ).
Individual proof
- ↑ Annemarie Heiduk, Irina Brake, Michael von Tschirnhaus et al .: Ceropegia sandersonii Mimics Attacked Honeybees to Attract Kleptoparasitic Flies for Pollination. Current Biology, Vol. 26, Issue 20, pp. 2787-2793, October 24, 2016
literature
- Focke Albers and Ulli Meve (eds.): Succulent lexicon Volume 3 Asclepiadaceae (silk plants). 322 p., Ulmer, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3982-0 .
Web links
- Photo of the Botanical Garden of the Ruhr University Bochum ( Memento from January 25, 2004 in the Internet Archive )