Triantha occidentalis
| Triantha occidentalis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Tofieldiaceae |
| Genus: | Triantha |
| Species: | T. occidentalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Triantha occidentalis | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Triantha occidentalis, the western false asphodel, is a species of flowering plant in the family Tofieldiaceae. It is found in the Pacific Northwest.[2]
Botanical history
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][6]
Range
The native range of Triantha occidentalis is from Southeast Alaska to Central California. The range includes the US states of Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.[1]
Carnivory
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.[7][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][8] The plant is considered to be unique in this method of carnivory.[7][8]
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
- ^ a b c "Triantha occidentalis (S.Watson) R.R.Gates". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Triantha occidentalis in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Archived from the original on 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ "Triantha occidentalis (S.Watson) R.R.Gates". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Archived from the original on 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ "Triantha occidentalis (S. Watson) R.R. Gates". Tropicos. Archived from the original on 2021-08-10. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on 2021-08-10. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ CNN, Lauren M. Johnson. "An insect eating plant has been identified on North America's Pacific coast for the first time in 20 years". CNN. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ a b Greenfieldboyce, Nell (August 9, 2021). "This Sweet White Flower Is Actually A Sneaky Carnivore, Scientists Discover". NPR.org. All Things Considered. Archived from the original on 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ a b Elbein, Asher (2021-08-09). "This Flower Hides a Secret: It's Actually a Carnivore". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-08-10. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
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