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.[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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