Triantha occidentalis
| Triantha occidentalis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Tofieldiaceae |
| Genus: | Triantha |
| Species: | T. occidentalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Triantha occidentalis | |
Triantha occidentalis, the western false asphodel, is a species of flowering plant in the family Tofieldiaceae. It is found in the Pacific Northwest.[1]
Triantha occidentalis was described by Sereno Watson in 1879 as Tofieldia occidentalis, and reassigned to Triantha by R. R. Gates in 1918.[2][3] 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.[4]
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.[5][4] 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.[4][6] The plant is considered to be unique in this method of carnivory.[5][6]
References
- ^ "Triantha occidentalis in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org.
- ^ "Triantha occidentalis (S.Watson) R.R.Gates". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Triantha occidentalis (S. Watson) R.R. Gates". Tropicos. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
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