Brocchinia reducta
Brocchinia reducta
Brocchinia reducta is a plant of the genus Brocchinia in the family Bromeliaceae ( Bromeliaceae ). The only Bromelienart it is a carnivorous plant ( carnivorous plant). It is endemic to the south of the Orinoco in the Gran Sabana on the tops of some tepuis of southern Venezuela and northwestern Guyana.
- 2.1 communities
- 2.2 Karnivorie
- 3.1 Climate in the coverage area
Description
Habit
Like all Brocchinia species it grows terrestrially in dense patches. Brocchinia reducta is a perennial, herbaceous plant that can (up to 60) reached inflorescence growth heights of 30 to 50 cm. It forms a weakly developed root plant. It is a Trichterbromelie, also called Zisternenbromelie, the leaves are densely crowded in a compressed stem axis and form a relatively waterproof, narrow funnel ( the cistern ) in which they collect from rainfall water. By this collected water they can survive dry periods and collected in water nutrients are absorbed through the leaves.
Sheet
The smooth-edged, yellowish to light green, oblong- linealischen leaves are about 5 inches wide, with a length of up to 45 inches at mid-length. They stand stiffly upright, rounded blunt end and have a spike tip, its surface is smooth.
Inflorescence, flowers and fruit
The upright in the center of the leaf rosette inflorescence stem is slender, terete, several small, ovate bracts are up to 60 inches tall and about him ( bracts ). The racemose inflorescence is loosely branched.
The short- stalked flowers are radial symmetry, threes and just 5 millimeters long. The three petals are white.
The cylindrical capsule fruits contain many elongated, capable of flying seeds.
Ecology
Communities
The funnel of bromeliads are also a habitat for other organisms. Organisms such as algae, protozoa and mosquito larvae find their habitat. As a commensal to find spiders that weave into their nets into the tube opening and catch as attracted by the plant prey. In their funnels of Brocchinia reducta is found occasionally as an epiphyte aquatic Utricularia humboldtii, the greatest of all water hose types, a unique combination, in the case of a carnivorous plant has become the habitat of another carnivorous plant species. The dead organisms and excreta of the animals that live in the water storage of the funnel bromeliads are converted into plant-available nutrients and recorded with the aid of Saugschuppen via the leaves.
Karnivorie
Brocchinia reducta has the only Bromelienart to a carnivorous plant ( carnivorous plant) developed. In the tubular cisterns, in which water collects, substances secreted by glands at the leaf base, and large plants up to two liters of fluid to be included. For attracting insects of the weak scent of the liquid itself acts (which loses itself in old age), the smell of rotting plant material that accumulates in the hopper, and a special kind of mimicry: Your UV patterns, one for insects, but not for people visible, ultraviolet drawing of the sheet is identical to that of the bottom jug, a carnivore that excretes nectar to lure prey, and with the kind often shares the locations and competes for prey.
Above the cistern area, the leaves of the plants are provided with glands that secrete a wax. This wax is important for prey capture in two ways: first, it serves as a coating, which makes the leaves smooth. An insect lands on them, inevitably slips into the hopper inside the plant. At the same time the wax adheres to the legs of insects and sticking them together, so that the prey is prevented from escaping. For just this purpose located in the lower part of the leaves also additionally a downward hair. The trapped animals sit mostly from fire ants, but also flies, mites, gnats, springtails, beetles, spiders, wasps and bees together. The prey quantities and spectra of small and large individuals differ significantly smaller specimens catch more and more diverse prey.
It was long assumed that, despite these relatively complex safety gear Brocchinia reducta their prey not digested by self-produced enzymes, but the digestion in the extremely acidic fluid ( pH 2.8 to 3) ( as in some other Präkarnivoren also ) through particularly in the would be carried out cistern liquid live bacteria cultures. 2005 was, however, detected by Bartek Plachno of the Cracow University of phosphatase activity in digestive glands of Brocchinia reducta, so this type is considered to be carnivorous in the strict sense. The liberated by the dissolution of the prey and converted into plant available nutrients ions are then taken up by the Saugschuppen into the leaf.
Dissemination
Brocchinia reducta is endemic to the south of the Orinoco in the Gran Sabana, a Venezuelan white-sand savanna and on the tops of some tepui in southern Venezuela and Guyana to the northwest at altitudes 500-2900 m.
Climate in the area of distribution
Can be readily seen by the climate data that until the beginning of March is a dry season from mid-November, although the total rainfall of about 1600 mm are relatively high.
It should be noted, however, that the climatic conditions on the tepuis of those here measured in the plane differ drastically. There are mainly the temperature differences between day and night pronounced, the temperatures are generally lower, the sun is higher and constant fog and rain is wetter than in the plane, even if rainwater is not saved, because no soil is present and the water immediately runs above ground.
Description of location
Brocchinia reducta populated sandy, very acid and extremely nutrient-poor sites ( habitats ), so it is like almost all plant species in such habitats rely on to have additional sources of nutrients.
First, there are open places of the level in sandy swamps, on the other hand they can be found on some tepuis. There she frequently appears together with the marsh pitcher species Heliamphora Heliamphora nutans and heterodoxa, and sundew species, Reuse traps and water hoses. The locations are almost never shaded by larger plants ( shrubs or trees ).