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|synonyms=
|synonyms=
*''Asphodeliris occidentalis'' <small>(S.Watson) Kuntze</small>
*''Asphodeliris occidentalis'' <small>(S.Watson) Kuntze</small>
*''Tofieldia glutinosa''subsp. ''occidentalis'' <small>(S.Watson) C.L.Hitchc.</small>
*''Tofieldia glutinosa'' subsp. ''occidentalis'' <small>(S.Watson) C.L.Hitchc.</small>
*''Tofieldia glutinosa'' var. ''occidentalis'' <small>(S.Watson) C.L.Hitchc.</small>
*''Tofieldia glutinosa'' var. ''occidentalis'' <small>(S.Watson) C.L.Hitchc.</small>
*''Tofieldia occidentalis'' <small>S.Watson</small>
*''Tofieldia occidentalis'' <small>S.Watson</small>

Revision as of 22:38, 10 August 2021

Triantha occidentalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Tofieldiaceae
Genus: Triantha
Species:
T. occidentalis
Binomial name
Triantha occidentalis
Synonyms[1]
  • Asphodeliris occidentalis (S.Watson) Kuntze
  • Tofieldia glutinosa subsp. occidentalis (S.Watson) C.L.Hitchc.
  • Tofieldia glutinosa var. occidentalis (S.Watson) C.L.Hitchc.
  • Tofieldia occidentalis S.Watson

Triantha occidentalis, the western false asphodel, is a species of flowering plant in the family Tofieldiaceae. It is found in the Pacific Northwest.[2]

Triantha occidentalis was described by Sereno Watson in 1879 as Tofieldia occidentalis, and reassigned to Triantha by R. R. Gates in 1918.[3][4] The carnivorous behavior of the plant was discovered in 2021 by a group of scientists from the University of British Columbia and the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[5]

Triantha occidentalis is a carnivorous plant; the stem is covered in a sticky substance, and has tiny hairs that produce a digestive enzyme, a phosphatase. The sticky substance is able to trap small insects, which are digested by the enzyme from the hairs, allowing the plant to absorb their nutrients.[6][5] Of note is that the sticky stem is only able to entrap smaller insects, such as midges, and does not affect larger insects like bees or butterflies that may play a role in pollination.[5][7] The plant is considered to be unique in this method of carnivory.[6][7]

Subspecies

The following subspecies are accepted:[1]

  • Triantha occidentalis subsp. brevistyla (C.L.Hitchc.) Packer
  • Triantha occidentalis subsp. montana (C.L.Hitchc.) Packer
  • Triantha occidentalis subsp. occidentalis

References

  1. ^ a b "Triantha occidentalis (S.Watson) R.R.Gates". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Triantha occidentalis in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org.
  3. ^ "Triantha occidentalis (S.Watson) R.R.Gates". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2021-08-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "Triantha occidentalis (S. Watson) R.R. Gates". Tropicos. Retrieved 2021-08-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b c Lin, Qianshi; Ané, Cécile; Givnish, Thomas J.; Graham, Sean W. (2021-08-17). "A new carnivorous plant lineage (Triantha) with a unique sticky-inflorescence trap". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118 (33). doi:10.1073/pnas.2022724118. ISSN 0027-8424. PMID 34373325.
  6. ^ a b Greenfieldboyce, Nell (August 9, 2021). "This Sweet White Flower Is Actually A Sneaky Carnivore, Scientists Discover". NPR.org. All Things Considered. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  7. ^ a b Elbein, Asher (2021-08-09). "This Flower Hides a Secret: It's Actually a Carnivore". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-10.