Volcanic palm

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Volcanic palm
Volcanic palm (Brighamia insignis)

Volcanic palm ( Brighamia insignis )

Systematics
Euasterids II
Order : Astern-like (Asterales)
Family : Bellflower family (Campanulaceae)
Subfamily : Lobelia family (Lobelioideae)
Genre : Brighamia
Type : Volcanic palm
Scientific name of the  genus
Brighamia
A.Gray
Scientific name of the  species
Brighamia insignis
A.Gray
Habit
leaves
blossom
Brighamia insignis as a potted plant

The volcanic palm ( Brighamia insignis ), and Hawaii palm is a vegetable art from the genus Brighamia within the family of the bell flower plants (Campanulaceae). It is endemic to some islands of Hawaii and is one of the endangered species in the wild . The generic name honors the American geologist, botanist and ethnologist William Tufts Brigham (1841-1926).

Naming

Scientific name

The genus Brighamia got its botanical name in honor of the American botanist William Tufts Brigham , a discoverer and collector of Hawaiian plants .

The Latin epithet insignis (like all scientific components of a name in biology ) means 'excellent', 'remarkable', 'distinctive'.

Common names

Brighamia insignis owes the first part of its German trivial name , "Vulkan ~" or "Hawaii ~", to its endemic occurrence on the Hawaiian islands , which are known to be volcanic islands . The second part of the word "~ palme" only comes from their morphology or growth form , which is very similar to their palms , so it is misleading insofar as Brighamia insignis is not a plant from the palm family or the palm-like order (see systematics ).

Their common name in the Anglo-Saxon-speaking area is " ʻŌlulu " or " Alula " ( Hawaiian (!)); it is there colloquially also " cabbage on a stick " ( Engl. ;, cabbage on a stick ') called what (like "~ palm" in German ) is also derived from the appearance of the plant.

As an ornamental plant , Brighamia insignis sometimes also bears the (English) name " Hawaiian Palm ", but without this being a regular or common (trivial) name for the plant in the Anglo-Saxon region.

description

Brighamia insignis is a deciduous , rarely branching stem succulent plant . The soft-fleshed trunk containing milky sap stands upright and reaches heights of 1 to 3 (to 5) meters. Its bark is smooth, initially green, then gray, covered with the scars of shed leaves. During the growing season , the thin, non-succulent leaves are spread out in a rosette at the top of the trunk. They are obovate, about 12 to 30 cm long, 6 to 12 cm wide and light green.

The approximately 10 cm long inflorescences with four to seven flowers appear laterally from the leaf axils. The flowers open at night. There are five sepals 1 to 6 mm long . The five petals are fused tubular, has a diameter of 3 to 4 mm and is about 13 cm long. Their outspread tips are white to yellow and about 1.8 to 2.5 × 1 cm in size. The five stamens that ripen at the side and ripen first have grown together to form a tube. After it has wilted, the female part of the flower matures with a two-chamber ovary below . The elongated, about 14 × 10 mm large, ten-ribbed capsule fruit splits lengthwise into four parts when ripe. Its numerous, pale seeds are about 1 mm in size.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 28.

ecology

In nature, the place pollination by moths with very long, extending into the at least 13 cm deep flowers suckers instead. Since a pollinator appears to be missing on the island of Molokai and may have become extinct, the number of plants of the local form decreased dramatically. To save this local form, the plants are now pollinated by hand. Unobjective and rather biased reporting created the now widespread impression that the entire species would be threatened with extinction if one pollinator failed. In fact, the species is considered endangered because of its naturally small and dispersed populations.

Distribution and systematics

Brighamia insignis only grows endemically on two islands in Hawaii, Niʻihau and Kauaʻi . There it forms small populations on basalt cliffs near the sea. Because of the formation of several local types, which differ slightly in terms of flowers and seeds, several species and varieties (such as Brighamia rockii H.St. John ) have been described in the past , but according to GD Rowley they are to be regarded as synonyms . The genus Brighamia would then be monotypical . According to R. Govaerts, however, Brighamia rockii H.St.John is recognized as an independent species. Brighamia rockii occurs only on the Hawaiian islands of Molokaʻi , Maui and perhaps Lānaʻi . According to R. Govaerts, synonyms of Brighamia insignis A.Gray are : Brighamia citrina (CNForbes & Lydgate) H.St.John , Brighamia citrina var. Napoliensis H.St.John and Brighamia insignis f. citrina C.N. Forbes & Lydgate .

cultivation

Aside from succulent plant nurseries , Brighamia insignis is sometimes also sold in plant stores. It was here previously almost exclusively imported goods , ie not in Central Europe relied on plants, because in culture , they soon turn out to be difficult and grow in inverse rhythm in winter, while in summer a rest period to comply. They are also prone to rot and many pests . The specimens offered in nurseries nowadays no longer come from wild stocks, but are propagated by meristem culture ( in vitro ), both outside and inside Central Europe (e.g. in the Netherlands).

proof

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lotte Burkhardt: Directory of eponymous plant names . Extended Edition. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Free University Berlin Berlin 2018. [1]
  2. ↑ ʻŌlulu , Ka Hā ʻŌ Ka ʻĀina project , accessed on January 2, 2020
  3. ^ Brighamia insignis at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
  4. ^ DG Rowley: Brighamia . In: Urs Eggli (Ed.): Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Dicotyledons , Springer Verlag, 2002, ISBN 3-540-41966-7 . Pp. 62-63.
  5. ↑ a b Rafaël Govaerts (ed.): Brighamia. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved February 13, 2018.

literature

  • Asa Gray: Brighamia insignis , Proc. At the. Acad. 7: 185, 1867
  • Gordon D. Rowley: Brighamia: Succulent endemics of Hawaii , Brit. Cact. Succ. J. 1 (1): 9-11, 1983
  • Urs Eggli (Ed.): Succulents Lexicon Volume 2 Dicotyledonous plants (dicotyledons) except Aizoaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Cactaceae and Crassulaceae . Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2002. ISBN 3-8001-3915-4

Web links

Commons : Brighamia insignis  - album with pictures, videos and audio files