Trochetia parviflora
| Trochetia parviflora | ||||||||||||
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| Trochetia parviflora | ||||||||||||
| Bojer |
Trochetia parviflora is a rare species of the genus Trochetia within the mallow family. Its distribution is limited to small areas on the Corps de Garde and on Mt. Laporte in Mauritius .
description
Trochetia parviflora is a densely branched, low shrub that reaches heights of growth of 3 meters. The bark has a scale-like coating that is much thinner than that of Trochetia uniflora and Trochetia triflora . The elongated, entire-edged leaves are 2.5 to 3.8 cm long. The leaf base is fairly rounded. The upper side of the leaf is dull and rough, the underside of the leaf scaly. The leaf stalks are 6 mm long.
The erect inflorescence axis bears three white to pale pink flowers. The shape of the flower is funnel-shaped. The lanceolate, densely scaled sepals are 6.3 to 7.6 mm long. The petals are wide and no longer than the sepals. The stamens are very short. The ten anthers are not dominated by the staminodium . The ovary is spherical and densely scaled. The flowering period extends from May to July. The flower nectar is yellow. Green fruits are arranged in groups of three on the branches.
status
Trochetia parviflora was previously found in the thick forests of Montagne-Ory . After this species was last collected in 1863 by the botanist Philip Burnard Ayres , it was considered lost for a long time, until in April 2001 63 specimens from a Mauritian botanical team led by Vincent Florens and Jean-Claude Sevathian on a rocky slope of the Corps de Garde six kilometers removed from the original site, were rediscovered. Another specimen was found on Mt. Laporte in June 2009.
Originally it was assumed that the seeds of Trochetia parviflora were eaten by monkeys and rats, and that this species was thereby exterminated. Forest fires and landslides are considered the greatest threat. There are currently efforts to establish shoots and seeds by in situ propagation in other regions of Mauritius.
literature
- John Gilbert Baker : Flora of Mauritius and the Seychelles: A Description of the Flowering Plants . L. Reeve & Co., London 1877 (Reprint: Asian Educational Services, 1999, ISBN 81-206-1427-5 ), digitized .