Stylidium
Lifespan: | ⌛ | perennial |
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Stylidium (also known as triggerplants or trigger plants) is a genus of dicotyledonous plants that belong to the family Stylidiaceae. The genus name Stylidium is derived from the Greek στύλος or stylos (column or pillar), which refers to the distinctive reproductive structure that its flowers possess.[1] Pollination is achieved through the use of the sensitive "trigger", which comprises the male and female reproductive organs fused into a floral column that snaps forward quickly in response to touch, harmlessly covering the insect in pollen. Most of the approximately 300 species are only found in Australia, making it the fifth largest genus in that country. Triggerplants are considered to be protocarnivorous or carnivorous because the glandular trichomes that cover the scape and flower can trap, kill, and digest small insects with protease enzymes produced by the plant.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Stylidium_turbinatum_column_movement.png/223px-Stylidium_turbinatum_column_movement.png)
The majority of the Stylidium species are perennial herbs of which some are geophytes that utilize bulbs as their storage organ. The remaining small group of species consists of ephemeral annuals.[2]
Members of the genus are most easily identified by their unique floral column, in which the stamen and style are fused.
Species of the genus Stylidium represent a very diverse selection of plants. Some are only a few centimeters tall, while others can grow to be 1.8 meters (5.9 ft) tall (S. laricifolium). One typical plant form is a dense rosette of leaves close to the ground that gives rise to the floral spike in the center. Plant forms range from wiry, creeping mats (S. scandens) to the bushy S. laricifolium.[3][4]
Flower morphology differs in details, but ascribes to a simple blueprint: four petals, zygomorphic in nature, with the trigger protruding from the "throat" of the flower and resting below the plane of the flower petals. Flower size ranges from many species that have small 0.5 cm (0.2 in) wide flowers to the 2-3 cm (0.7-1.2 in) wide flowers of S. schoenoides. Flower color can also vary from species to species, but most include some combination of white, cream, yellow, or pink. Flowers are usually arranged in a spike or dense raceme, but there is at least one exception to the rule: S. uniflorum, as its name suggests, produces a single flower per inflorescence.[4]
Leaf morphology is also very diverse in this large genus. Some leaves are very thin, almost needle-like (S. affine), while others are short, stubby, and arranged in rosettes (S. pulviniforme). Another group of species, such as S. scandens (climbing triggerplant) form scrambling, tangled mats typically propped up on aerial roots.[4]
ExpandRead about Stylidium in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Cultivation
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Stylidium_graminifolium_cultivation.jpg/223px-Stylidium_graminifolium_cultivation.jpg)
Most Stylidium species tend to be hardy species and can be easily cultivated in greenhouses or gardens. They are drought resistant, hardy to cold weather, and the species diversity in this genus gives gardeners a wide variety of choices. Most species that are native to Western Australia will be cold hardy to at least -1 to -2°C. The few that can be found all over Australia, like S. graminifolium, will tolerate a wider range of habitat since their native ranges includes a great diversity of ecoregions. Some species of triggerplants are suitable for cultivation outdoors outside of the Australian continent including most of the United Kingdom and as far north as New York City or Seattle in the United States.[4]
Cultivation from seed may be difficult or easy, depending on the species. The more difficult species to grow include the ones that require a period of dormancy or smoke treatment to simulate a bushfire. Stylidium specimens should be grown in a medium that is kept moist and has a relatively low concentration of nutrients. It should also be noted that they appear to be sensitive to disturbance of their root systems. Minimization of such disturbance will likely result in healthier plants.[4]
Propagation
Pests and diseases
Species
Gallery
References
- ↑ Curtis's Botanical Magazine. (1832). Stylidium scandens, Volume 59: Plate 3136.
- ↑ Good, R. (1925). On the Geographical Distribution of the Stylidiaceae. New Phytologist, 24(4): 225-240.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Darnowski, Douglas W. (2002). Triggerplants. Australia: Rosenberg Publishing. ISBN 1-877058-03-3
External links
- w:Stylidium. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
- Stylidium QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)