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| − | '''''Byblis''''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɪ|b|l|ᵻ|s}} is a small [[genus]] of [[carnivorous plant]]s, sometimes termed the '''rainbow plants''' for the attractive appearance of their [[mucilage]]-covered [[Leaf|leaves]] in bright sunshine. Native to western [[Australia]], it is the only genus in the family '''Byblidaceae'''. The first species in the genus was described by the English botanist [[Richard Anthony Salisbury]] in 1808. Eight species are now recognized (see below).
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| − | ''Byblis'' species look very similar to ''[[Drosera]]'' and ''[[Drosophyllum]]'', but are distinguished by their [[zygomorphic]] [[flower]]s, with five curved [[stamen]]s off to one side of the [[Carpel|pistil]]. These genera are in fact not closely related; modern classifications place ''Byblis'' in the [[Lamiales]], while the [[sundew]]s and ''Drosophyllum'' are now placed in the [[Caryophyllales]].
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| − | ==Plant characteristics==
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| − | All species of the genus form upright growth supported by a weak, fibrous root system. The genus can be divided into two groups or "complexes": The ''B. liniflora'' complex and the ''B. gigantea'' complex (see [[Byblis (plant)#Subdivision of the genus|below]]).
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| − | ===Leaves===
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| − | The leaves of all species are round in cross section and highly elongated, tapering at the end. The surface of the leaves is densely studded with glandular hairs which secrete a [[mucilage|mucilaginous]] substance from their tip. These serve to attract small [[insect]]s, which upon touching the sticky secretions are ensnared. Unless they are strong enough to escape, the insect prey either die of exhaustion or [[asphyxiate]] as the mucilage envelops them and clogs their [[spiracles]]. Unlike the sundews, however, ''Byblis'' can move neither their tentacles nor the leaves themselves to aid trapping or digestion. As a result, they are grouped among the "passive flypaper traps" along with ''[[Pinguicula]]'', ''[[Drosophyllum]]'', ''[[Roridula]]'', ''[[Stylidium]]'' and ''[[Triphyophyllum peltatum]]''.
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| − | Along with the stalked mucilaginous glands, the leaves are also equipped with [[Sessility (botany)|sessile]] glands, which assumedly are responsible for the secretion of the digestive juices. Sessile glands are five to ten times as numerous as the stalked glands.
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| − | [[File:Byblis filifolia flora.jpg|thumb|left|175px|''B. filifolia'' flower]]
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| − | ===Flowers===
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| − | [[Flowers]] in this genus are born singly at the end of unbranching, leaf-like [[inflorescence]]s which emerge from the leaf axes. The five-petaled flowers are generally purple to pale violet, though ''B. gigantea'' und ''B. filifolia'' can sometimes produce white flowers. Except for the self-fertile ''B. liniflora'', all species require [[pollen]] from other individuals for [[Flower#Fertilization|fertilization]]. The pollen release of ''B. gigantea'' and ''B. lamellata'' is only triggered by the resonance frequency of a landing pollinator, helping ensure cross-pollination with other individuals. The flowers of ''Byblis'' start to bloom in early spring and last until late summer.
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| − | [[File:Byblis liniflora capsule2.JPG|thumb|150px|''B. liniflora'' seed capsule]]
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| − | ===Fruit and seeds===
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| − | Fertilized flowers mature to form an egg shaped, two-parted seed capsule. As the seed capsule dries out it cracks open (dehisces), dropping the [[seed]] on the ground (see [[Biological dispersal#Gravity|gravity dispersal]]). The black seeds are generally round and often bear webbed surface markings, although those of ''B. lamellata'' are strongly ridged (see [http://seeds.carnivoren.org/images/156.jpg]). The [[germination]] of many species is brought on by [[brush fire]]s after the dry period; components of the smoke are responsible for triggering germination.
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| − | ==Distribution and habitat==
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| − | [[File:Byblis distribution.svg|thumb|200px|Distribution of the genus]]
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| − | All ''Byblis'' species are native to [[Australia]]. ''B. gigantea'' and ''B. lamellata'' are [[endemism|endemic]] to the [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]] region of southwest Australia, while the species making up the ''B. liniflora'' complex are found only in north Australia. The exception here is ''B. liniflora'' itself, whose distribution extends into southern [[Indonesia]] and [[Papua New Guinea]].
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| − | Like many [[carnivorous plants]], ''Byblis'' species usually grow in [[bog]]s and [[marsh]]es. They generally prefer seasonally wet sandy soil in partial or direct sunlight with temperatures between ~ 5-40 °C (40-105 °F).
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| − | ==Environmental status==
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| − | As native plants of Australia, all ''Byblis'' species are protected. Until the year 2000, they were also given international protection under [[CITES]] appendix II, but were removed from the list when Australia entered the CITES agreement. Since then trade of the genus has been unregulated outside of Australia. However, due to the sensitivity of the plant, interest in the genus has been restricted to a small portion of the carnivorous plant hobbyist community. The majority of plant material sold today is produced in cultivation, with the annual ''B. filifolia'' and ''B. liniflora'' being the most common. Most of the other species must be grown from seed, which is often collected from the wild for this purpose.
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| − | The West Australian species ''B. gigantea'' und ''B. lamellata'' are being threatened by habitat destruction for [[urban sprawl]] from cities such as [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]]. Particularly damaging is the draining of wet habitats to produce arable land. ''B. gigantea'' is on the [[IUCN|International Union for Conservation of Nature]]'s [[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species|Red List of Threatened Species]] and is considered critically endangered.
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| − | ==Carnivorous or protocarnivorous==
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| − | The status of the genus as a truly [[carnivorous plant]] has been repeatedly put into question. In their natural habitat, all species have been observed playing host to live [[Hemiptera|bug]]s of the genus ''[[Setocoris]]'', which nourished themselves by eating prey caught by the plants. Following this discovery it was assumed that, as with the genus ''[[Roridula]]'', the plants don't actually digest their prey themselves, rather relying on the bugs to do that. The plants, it was reasoned, benefited by absorbing nutrients from the excrements of the bugs, either through their leaves or through the ground. An indirect digestion of these nutrients by a [[chitinase]] producing [[fungus]] was even proposed. It wasn't until 2005 that direct digestion of insect prey by enzymes secreted by the sessile glands of ''B. filifolia'' was proven.<ref>Hartmeyer, Irmgard und Siegfried: ''Byblis filifolia als echte Karnivore rehabilitiert'', Das Taublatt (GFP), 53, 4-5, 2005</ref> Soon thereafter similar results were found with ''B. liniflora''. These results clearly place this genus among the true carnivorous plants.
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| − | == Systematics ==
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| − | Molecular genetics studies have placed the genus in the order [[Lamiales]]. While its placement within the order is still unclear, it is closely related to [[Martyniaceae]], [[Lentibulariaceae]] as well as [[Gesneriaceae]].
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| − | For a time, the [[genus]] ''[[Roridula]]'' was also assigned to the family Byblidaceae. Since that time, however, it has been placed into its own family, [[Roridulaceae]].
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| − | Traditionally the genus was divided into only two species, namely ''B. gigantea'' and ''B. liniflora''. Further species were described in the 1980s, particularly through the work of the Australian botanist [[Allen Lowrie]]. Eight species are currently recognized:<ref>Lowrie, A. (2013). ''Byblis''. In: ''[[Carnivorous Plants of Australia|Carnivorous Plants of Australia Magnum Opus - Volume One]]''. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. pp. 205–237. {{ISBN|978-1-908787-11-8}}.</ref>
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| − | * ''[[Byblis aquatica]]'' (annual, scrambling stem up to {{convert|45|cm|in|abbr=on}}, semiaquatic habitats)
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| − | * ''[[Byblis filifolia]]'' (annual, up to {{convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}}, [[anther]]s longer than [[stamen|filament]]s)
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| − | * ''[[Byblis gigantea]]'' (perennial, up to {{convert|70|cm|in|abbr=on}}, seeds with honeycomb pattern)
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| − | * ''[[Byblis guehoi]]''
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| − | * ''[[Byblis lamellata]]'' (perennial, up to {{convert|45|cm|in|abbr=on}}, deeply ridged seeds)
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| − | * ''[[Byblis liniflora]]'' (annual, up to {{convert|15|cm|in|abbr=on}}, [[anther]]s shorter than [[stamen|filament]]s)
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| − | * ''[[Byblis pilbarana]]''
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| − | * ''[[Byblis rorida]]'' (annual, up to {{convert|30|cm|in|abbr=on}}, heavily set with glandular tentacles)
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| − | ==Subdivision of the genus==
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| − | [[File:ByblisLamellata2.jpg|thumb|200px|''Byblis lamellata'' in cultivation]]
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| − | ===''Byblis liniflora'' complex===
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| − | The four species of this complex, ''B. liniflora'', ''B. rorida'', ''B. filifolia'' and ''B. aquatica'', are [[annual plant|annual]] [[herbaceous]] plants that reach a height of {{convert|15|-|50|cm|in|abbr=on}} and a maximum leaf length of {{convert|4|-|15|cm|in|abbr=on}}. These species grow from seedlings to flowering plants in only a few months, setting seed and dying with the onset of the dry season. The original [[haploid]] [[chromosome]] count of this complex is x=8. The [[diploid]] number is therefore 2n=16, whereas the [[polyploid|tetraploid]] species ''B. liniflora'' is 2n=32.
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| − | === ''Byblis gigantea'' complex ===
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| − | The remaining two species, ''B. lamellata'' und ''B. gigantea'', make up what is known as the ''B. gigantea'' complex. These perennial species are both [[endemism|endemic]] to [[Southwest Australia]], and reach heights of {{convert|45|-|70|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Unlike the annual members of the ''B. liniflora'' complex, these species survive the dry season by dying back to an underground [[rhizome]], out of which they emerge come fall. The leaves of this complex can reach {{convert|20|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length. The base chromosome count of the complex is x=9; since both species are diploid, their chromosome count is 2n=18.
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| − | ==Paleobotany==
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| − | In the year 2004 a single fossil of a seed, resembling that of members of the modern day ''B. liniflora'' complex, was discovered in south Australia dating from the middle of the [[Eocene]] epoch. The species was assigned to the Byblidaceae as a [[parataxon]] of the genus.<ref>Conran, John G.; Christophel, David C.: ''A Fossil Byblidaceae Seed from Eocene South Australia'', International Journal of Plant Sciences, 2004, vol. 165, p. 691–694</ref>
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| − | ==Etymology==
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| − | The Latin generic name "''Byblis''" originates from a goddess from [[Greek mythology]], of whom [[Ovid]] wrote in his ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' (IX, l. 454-664). [[Byblis]], niece of [[Apollo]], fell deeply in love with her twin brother [[Kaunos (mythology)|Caunus]]. At his rejection of her advances, she let forth an endless stream of glistening tears, eventually literally transforming into a spring. The droplets lining the leaves of the ''Byblis'' are said to resemble those tears.
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| − | The English vernacular name - "rainbow plants" - also denotes the mucilaginous droplets which, under the right lighting conditions and viewing angle, sparkle in a rainbow of colors.
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| − | ==See also==
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| − | * [[Carnivorous plants of Australia]]
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| | ==References== | | ==References== |
| − | Much of the content of this article comes from [[:de:Regenbogenpflanzen|the equivalent German-language Wikipedia article]] (retrieved 1 December 2006).
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| | {{reflist}} | | {{reflist}} |
| − | * Barthlott, Wilhelm; Porembski, Stefan; Seine, Rüdiger; Theisen, Inge: ''Karnivoren'', Stuttgart, 2004, {{ISBN|3-8001-4144-2}}
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| − | * Lowrie, Allen: ''[[Carnivorous Plants of Australia|Carnivorous Plants of Australia - Vol. 3]]'', Nedlands, Western Australia, 1998
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| − | * Lowrie, Allen; Conran, John G.: ''A Taxonomic Revision Of The Genus Byblis (Byblidaceae) In Northern Australia'', Nuytsia 12(1):59-74, 1998
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| − | * Lowrie, Allen; Conran, John G.; Moyle-Croft, Jessica: ''A Revision Of Byblis (Byblidaceae) In South-Western Australia'', Nuytsia 15(1):11-19, 2002
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| − | * Conran, John G.; Houben, Andreas; Lowrie, Allen: ''Chromosome numbers in Byblidaceae'', Aust. J. Bot., 2002, 50, 583-586
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| − | * Hartmeyer, Siegfried: ''Carnivory of Byblis Revisited—A Simple Method for Enzyme Testing on Carnivorous Plants'', [[Carnivorous Plant Newsletter]], 26, 39-45, 1997
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| − | * Hartmeyer, Siegfried: ''Carnivory in Byblis Revisited II: The Phenomenon of Symbiosis on Insect Trapping Plants'', [[Carnivorous Plant Newsletter]], 27, 110-113, 1998
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| − | *Plachno, B. J.; Jankun, A.: ''Phosphatase Activity in Glandular Structures of Carnivorous Plant Traps.'', Internationaler Botanischer Kongress 2005 in Wien, P1716, The Jagiellonian Univ., Inst. of Botany, Dept. of Plant Cytology and Embryology, Kraków,Poland.
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| − | ==Further reading==
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| − | * Conran, John G.: ''The embryology and relationships of the Byblidaceae'', Australian Syst. Bot. '''9''', 243-254, 1996
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| − | * Conran, John G.; Carolin, R.: ''Byblidaceae'', in: Kadereit, J. (ed.): ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, Vol. VII: Flowering Plants: Dicotyledons: Lamiales (except Acanthaceae including Avicenniaceae)'', Springer, 2004, 45-49.
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| − | * Fukushima, K., K. Imamura, K. Nagano & Y. Hoshi (2011). {{cite web|url= http://www.springerlink.com/content/un4175q54507083u/fulltext.pdf |title=Contrasting patterns of the 5S and 45S rDNA evolutions in the ''Byblis liniflora'' complex (Byblidaceae). }} ''Journal of Plant Research'' '''124'''(2): 231–244. {{DOI|10.1007/s10265-010-0366-x}}
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| − | == External links ==
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| − | * [http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq5080.html Carnivorous Plant FAQ on ''Byblis'']
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| − | * [http://www.sarracenia.com/pubs/byblis.html Cultivation notes]
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| − | *[http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/orders/lamialesweb.htm#Byblidaceae The family Byblidaceae at the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website]
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| − | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061101095504/http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/byblidac.htm The family Byblidaceae in [[DELTA (taxonomy)|Delta]].]
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| − | * [http://www.acps.org.au/gallery/byblis.htm Photos of ''Byblis'' in the wild]
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| − | * [http://www.botany.org/Carnivorous_Plants/Byblis.php Botanical Society of America, ''Byblis'' - the Rainbow Plants]
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| − | {{CarnivorousPlants}}
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| | {{Ack-Wikipedia}} | | {{Ack-Wikipedia}} |
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| | [[Category:Lamiales]] | | [[Category:Lamiales]] |
