Ibicella

Ibicella lutea

Ibicella lutea is the only species of the monotypic genus within the family of Ibicella Gemsenhorngewächse ( Martyniaceae ). A German trivial name is " devil's claw ". It occurs in the New World.

• 3.1 systematics
• 3.2 Studies on the possible Karnivorie

• 5.1 Notes and references

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Ibicella lutea grows as an annual, herbaceous plant, reaching heights of growth of 30 to 60 centimeters. Almost the entire plant is covered with glandular hairs, which impart a certain degree of stickiness Ibicella lutea. The glandular hairs exude a clearly perceptible, sweet smell of carrion. Addition, however, are also glands loose hairs on the plant. It forms a single, strong stem.

The to -earth and in the upper area occasionally alternate arranged in the lower part of the stem leaves are long-petiolate. The simple leaf blade is at a diameter of about 10 centimeters usually nearly circular with incised to approximately heart- shaped Spreitenbasis and slightly serrated leaf edge.

Inflorescence and flower

Few flowers are borne in slender, racemose inflorescence. The flowers are zygomorphic and zwittren fünfzählig double perianth. Of the five sepals about 1.5 cm long, the lower two distinctly wider than the upper. The five petals are fused into a 6 cm large bell-shaped crown. The crown is pale yellow and the outside occupied by glands within, it is hairless, bright yellow to orange colored and dotted with red spots. It's just a circle with five stamens present, four of which are fertile, and one is only a rudimentary Staminodium.

Fruit and seeds

The unusually shaped fruit capsules are oblong - ovate, with a length of about 5 cm and have a pitted surface. You are cleaved at their head and pulled into long, curved horns, like the fruiting body can be twice as long and with which they catch on the hooves or feet of animals and get carried away like that. The unusual shape of the capsule fruits has led to the common name " Devil's Claw ". The capsule fruits contain many seeds.

Fruit capsule

Seed

Dissemination

Ibicella lutea is originally from Brazil, but has been naturalized in the U.S. states of Mexico, California and Arizona. It grows in open, sunny dry regions.

Botanical history

System

First, this species in 1825 by John Lindley as Martynia lutea was first described. 1895 ordered the botanist Otto Stapf them as Proboscidea lutea in the genus Proboscidea one. In 1929 Glen Parker van Eseltine in Technical Bulletin, New York (State ) Agricultural Experiment Station. Geneva, NY, 149, S. 31, the genus with the type species Ibicella Ibicella lutea on.

The botanical genus name derives from the Latin Ibicella Ibex for " Capricorn " and refers to the shape of the fruit. The specific epithet is the Latin word lutea luteum for " yellow " borrowed and alludes to the color of the flowers on.

Studies on the possible Karnivorie

Already the botanist William James Beal observed in 1875, stick like countless tiny insects on the plant remained and that their exoskeleton looked dry and empty after a few days. Later he observed that tiny pieces of meat, which he pinned to the gland- tipped points, apparently " disappeared ". These experiences led him to conclude that the plant had to be carnivorous. Experimented in 1916, the Italian botanist E. Mameli also with Ibicella. They also made ​​similar observations, as she fastened tiny pieces of hard-boiled egg white to the glands. The Eistückchen broke up and were apparently absorbed by the plant. 1999 studied the researcher Paul Zachary Myers and C. Wallace et al. independently a possible enzyme production of the glands on Ibicella lutea.

The test consisted in the use of an unused black-and-white film strip, this was with the gelatinized side of the film to a certain point of the plant, which has previously been " stimulated " with soaked yeast or bovine albumin, was applied and allowed to stand for some time. In the case of a plant's own enzyme production, the gelatin layer of the film strip would have been damaged. Damages are after developing the film recognizable as featureless, bright areas. After initial problems that had occurred by the glands caused by loose hair scratches on the test strip, the two scientists finally came to the conclusion that the plant does not produce its own enzymes. Ibicella lutea is therefore classified as präkarnivor.

Use

Ibicella lutea is cultivated partly due to its seed pods, which are dried for decorative purposes and incorporated into floral arrangements. However, it is also planted in gardens between melons and tomatoes, as they wegfängt pests such as whiteflies. In the Southern loaded, semi-ripe fruits of Ibicella lutea (but also those of the genus Proboscidea ) are considered a delicacy in vinegar.

Literature sources

• Donald E. Schnell: Carnivorous plants of the United States and Canada. Timber Press 2002, ISBN 0-88192-540-3, pp. 397-402.
• Le Roy Abrams & Roxana Stinchfield Ferris: An illustrated flora of the Pacific States: Washington, Oregon and California, Volume 4 Stanford University Press, Stanford (California ) 1923-1960, p 2, Chapter Martyniaceae.
• Peter D' Amato: The savage garden: cultivating carnivorous plants. Ten Speed ​​Press 1998, ISBN 0-89815-915-6, pp. 289-291.
• Helmut Genaust: Etymological Dictionary of the botanical name of the plant. Birkhäuser 1996, ISBN 3-7643-2390-6, pp. 302 & 369
• Judith Sumner: American household botany: a history of useful plants, 1620-1900. Timber Press 2004, ISBN 0-88192-652-3, pp. 167 and 168