Hermetospheres

Experiences with plant life in closed glass containers

Category: Melastomas

  • Efficient light capture with downsized leaves?

    Efficient light capture with downsized leaves?

    The unequal growth of two leaves in a pair from a single branch node is called anisophylly. It occurs in several, non related groups of Angiosperms that have opposite leaves, like Gesneriaceae, Melastomataceae, Rubiaceae and Urticaceae and is therefore assumed to have evolved independently several times. But what is the competitive advantage of this trait…

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  • Plant, ant-plant and ant

    Plant, ant-plant and ant

    In their natural habitat, the melastoma family plant Pachycentria glauca often grow as epiphythes on ant-plants like Hydnophytum and Dischidia (which themselves usually grow epiphytically). Plants that live in a mutualistic association with a colony of ants are called myrmecophytes. Two morphological features of P. glauca are important for this plant-ant interaction: miniature pearl bodies…

    Read more: Plant, ant-plant and ant