Nesocodon
| Nesocodon | |
|---|---|
| Nesocodon mauritianus at the Conservatoire botanique national de Brest, France in 2015 july | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Campanulaceae |
| Subfamily: | Campanuloideae |
| Genus: | Nesocodon Thulin[1] |
| Species: | N. mauritianus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Nesocodon mauritianus (I.B.K.Richardson) Thulin[1]
| |
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Nesocodon is a monotypic genus of flowering plants within the family Campanulaceae. The sole species is Nesocodon mauritianus, formerly known as Wahlenbergia mauritiana, which is endemic to the island of Mauritius.
Description
[edit ]Vegetative characteristics
[edit ]Nesocodon mauritianus is a 30–40 cm big[2] dwarf shrub[1] with simple, woody,[2] straggly[3] , glabrous stems bearing deep furrows from leaf scars.[2] The spirally arranged,[2] glossy,[3] lanceolate leaves with a serrate margin and an acute apex are 6 cm long, and 0.6 cm wide.[2]
Generative characteristics
[edit ]The lateral, 1-flowered inflorescence[1] is produced in the leaf axils of the upper leaves.[2]
Taxonomy
[edit ]It was first described as Wahlenbergia mauritiana I.Richardson by I.Richardson in 1979.[2] [4] It was placed into a new monotypic genus Nesocodon Thulin as Nesocodon mauritianus (I.Richardson) Thulin by Mats Thulin in 1980.[1] [5] It is closely related to Heterochaenia from the Mascarene Islands, but has single flowers rather than panicles of several.[6]
Ecology
[edit ]It was the first plant ever discovered to produce red-colored nectar. It was originally thought to have been pollinated by birds, however, recent investigations have demonstrated that day geckos (Phelsuma ornata ) are the preferred pollinator of these flowers whereas birds function as nectar thieves.[7] The introduced red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) robs it of its nectar.[8]
Conservation
[edit ]It is a threatened species.[3]
References
[edit ]
- ^ a b c d e Thulin, M. (1980). Nesocodon, a New Genus in Campanulaceae. Kew Bulletin, 34(4), 813–814. https://doi.org/10.2307/4119073
- ^ a b c d e f g Richardson, I. B. K. (1979). A Distinctive New Species of Wahlenbergia (Campanulaceae) from Mauritius. Kew Bulletin, 33(4), 547–550. https://doi.org/10.2307/4109796
- ^ a b c Coleman, M. (2017, July 6). Nesocodon mauritianus. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Retrieved July 26, 2025, from https://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/25796
- ^ Wahlenbergia mauritiana I.Richardson. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved July 26, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/145835-1
- ^ Nesocodon Thulin. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved July 26, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:5769-1
- ^ Wyse Jackson, P. S. (1990). "Nesocodon mauritianus: Campanulaceae". Curtis's Botanical Magazine. 7 (33). Blackwell Publishing: 113–117. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8748.1990.tb00153.x.
- ^ Mauritian coloured nectar no longer a mystery: a visual signal for lizard pollinators. Dennis M Hansen, Karin Beer, Christine B Müller Published 22 June 2006.DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2006.0458
- ^ Olesen, J. M., et al. (1998). Mauritian red nectar remains a mystery. Nature 393, 529.
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