A look at Dischidia cleistantha
Dischidia is a genus of Asiatic epiphytes with twining or dangling habit, most of them being root climbers. All species have succulent leaves which help the plants overcome long periods of dryness. Three sections are included, differentiated by their floral structures, but mainly by their leaf morphologies: the nominate section, section Dischidia, comprise the normal, flat-leaved species; section Ascidiophora are those with the fruit- (some say pocket-) shaped leaves that develop together with the normal ones; and section Conchophyllum have species with concave to flattened, shell-like leaves that clasp their hosts. Both sections Dischidia and Conchophyllum have one type of leaves, while those in section Ascidiophora are dimorphic. However, Tatyana Livschultz (2000) found out that sections Ascidiophora and Concophyllum are monophyletic, which means that they share a common ancestor. In the future, these two sections may comprise one genus that is independent of Dischidia.
Dischidia is related to Hoya but as a whole have far less showy flowers; one maintains a collection of these plants mainly by the attraction of their leaves. However, many dischidias have found a place in specialist collections because of their myrmecophilic nature. That's a nerdy term that refers to a mutualistic association with ants and should make you look extremely bright, particularly if you say it in front of preening colegialas. Granted, gardeners do not want these highly social insects around due to their mining activities and the fact that mealy bugs often prosper under the protection of ants. However, there are also gardeners who keep their plants in more open spaces that it is just not possible to keep any sort of fauna away- might as well live with them, including ants. On the other hand, some collectors just want weird plants.
Our plant here is an example of a myrmecophilic Dischidia, and is known as D. cleistantha. This species was described by Livschultz in 2003 based from material collected by Elmer D. Merrill in Zamboanga on Sept. 1922. However, the species is not restricted there as it has also been found on Luzon (Benguet, Quezon, Polillo and Catanduanes), as well as on the islands of Basilan and Jolo, south of Mindanao. The species name was derived from two Greek words: kleistos (closed), and anthos (flower), a reference to the flowers which appear to remain closed throughout its anthesis. In reality, there is a very tiny opening at the junction of the corolla tips, and only extremely tiny insects can fit enough to crawl inside the floral structure. Its imbricate leaves places it within section Conchophyllum. Representatives of this section are fairly commonly observed in the Philippines, with the most common being D. platyphylla.
You can read the protologue of this species here: http://biostor.org/reference/137498
One of these days I might take some cuttings and attach them to my palm trees, to allow them to grow like they would in nature. The stems are not supposed to dangle like that.
The leaf undersides are purplish-red, and roots are produced on the corresponding leaf nodes. It is on these undersides that ants eventually settle in, but only if the leaves are appressed on a surface.
As mentioned above, most dischidias have tiny flowers, but D. cleistantha is an exception. These flowers are a pale lavender, with the edges of the corolla lobes being violet, which gives the flowers a striped appearance. As they age, they turn pink. Once these plants start to flower, they practically just won't stop.
This Dischidia, like many others from its genus, thrive on benign neglect. They appreciate bright, filtered sun and plenty of water throughout the year. Colonizing ants bring them the nutrients they require, which eliminates the need to apply fertilizers.
You have this plant and other shell-leaved species too? Let me hear about it!
Dischidia is related to Hoya but as a whole have far less showy flowers; one maintains a collection of these plants mainly by the attraction of their leaves. However, many dischidias have found a place in specialist collections because of their myrmecophilic nature. That's a nerdy term that refers to a mutualistic association with ants and should make you look extremely bright, particularly if you say it in front of preening colegialas. Granted, gardeners do not want these highly social insects around due to their mining activities and the fact that mealy bugs often prosper under the protection of ants. However, there are also gardeners who keep their plants in more open spaces that it is just not possible to keep any sort of fauna away- might as well live with them, including ants. On the other hand, some collectors just want weird plants.
Our plant here is an example of a myrmecophilic Dischidia, and is known as D. cleistantha. This species was described by Livschultz in 2003 based from material collected by Elmer D. Merrill in Zamboanga on Sept. 1922. However, the species is not restricted there as it has also been found on Luzon (Benguet, Quezon, Polillo and Catanduanes), as well as on the islands of Basilan and Jolo, south of Mindanao. The species name was derived from two Greek words: kleistos (closed), and anthos (flower), a reference to the flowers which appear to remain closed throughout its anthesis. In reality, there is a very tiny opening at the junction of the corolla tips, and only extremely tiny insects can fit enough to crawl inside the floral structure. Its imbricate leaves places it within section Conchophyllum. Representatives of this section are fairly commonly observed in the Philippines, with the most common being D. platyphylla.
You can read the protologue of this species here: http://biostor.org/reference/137498
One of these days I might take some cuttings and attach them to my palm trees, to allow them to grow like they would in nature. The stems are not supposed to dangle like that.
The leaf undersides are purplish-red, and roots are produced on the corresponding leaf nodes. It is on these undersides that ants eventually settle in, but only if the leaves are appressed on a surface.
As mentioned above, most dischidias have tiny flowers, but D. cleistantha is an exception. These flowers are a pale lavender, with the edges of the corolla lobes being violet, which gives the flowers a striped appearance. As they age, they turn pink. Once these plants start to flower, they practically just won't stop.
This Dischidia, like many others from its genus, thrive on benign neglect. They appreciate bright, filtered sun and plenty of water throughout the year. Colonizing ants bring them the nutrients they require, which eliminates the need to apply fertilizers.
You have this plant and other shell-leaved species too? Let me hear about it!
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