Mitrastemon

Mitrastemon is a genus of two widely disjunct species of parasitic plants.[2] It is the only genus within the family Mitrastemonaceae. Mitrastemon species are root endoparasites, which grow on Fagaceae. It's also a non-photoysthetic plant that parasitizes other plants such as "Castonopsis sieboldii". The parasitic plant was first discovered by botanist Eizi Matuda during an expedition to Mt. Ovando in the state of Chiapas, Mexico (Matuda, 1947). The different species were originally named by a friend of Matuda, Yamamoto in 1925-1926. Mitrastemon yamamotoi is a protandrous plant. This means that flowers go through a male phase before transforming into their final female form. This sequential gender change is very common in the flowers of various plants, but also can be found in many different animals as well. The flowers of M. yamamotoi are very well-liked by a variety of insects ranging from wasps to flies and beetles. Among these insects, beetles are the best pollinators for this plant since their visit to the flower would pick up a large amount of pollen and they would pollinate from each of the flowers that they had already visited. The plant is endemic to tropical and subtropical forest regions such as Southeast Asia and Japan. Since this species of plant is not commonly found within the United States, many here do not realize which plants are endangered. According to an article written by Tommy Leung, "Parasitic plants are among the most endangered organisms on the planet for most of them we don't know just how endangered they might be. Like other parasites, they are deeply interconnected with the rest of the ecosystem. And while insects like wasps and cockroaches tend to get a bad rap from people, for some organisms, they are a vital lifeline." It is important that people take the time to understand that animals are not the only living organisms in the world that are endangered and reaching extinction. Every living organism has its own purpose and is an addition to a working environment or ecosystem.

Mitrastemon
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Mitrastemonaceae
Makino[1]
Genus: Mitrastemon
Makino
Species

M. matudae
M. yamamotoi

Taxonomy

The taxonomic placement of the Mitrastemon was unsure for a long time. Originally it was placed within the order Rafflesiales, together with other parasitic plants, but this order was long suspected to be actually polyphyletic. In 2004, the genus was found to be related to Ericales by comparing their mitochondrial DNA.[3]

Several orthographic variants of the name Mitrastemon exist, including Mitrastema and Mitrastemma. The correct taxonomic name is Mitrastemon, the use of which was proposed and justified in an article by Reveal[4] and approved by the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants in a subsequent article.[5]

The species has a cylindrical body ranging from 3 cm to 7 cm in height with a tuberous base. During an early developmental stage it appears an off white color however once drying out it becomes a dark brown color (Mir et al., 2016).

Life Cycle

The plant is spotted only during the winter season and it completes the whole life cycle from November to April. Mitrastemon is completely embedded within the tissues of its host, except during the reproduction stage when above ground parts emerge from host tissues. Truth is there is very little to know about the reproductive system.

Flowering and fruiting period: The plant is seen only during the winter season and it completes the whole life cycle from November to April (Mir et al., 2016).

Ecology

Unlike other plants, the flowers of this organism change sex from male to female. Various insects are involved in pollination. Mitrastemon yamamotol is mainly pollinated by social wasps, but previously unnoticed pollination are also important, based on visitation frequency and pollen loads. There has been numerous of studies of the pollination that suggest that nocturnal visitors, such as crickets and cockroaches, contribute to geitonogamous pollination. Diurnal visitors like social wraps facilitate outcrossing.

Distribution

Mitrastemon yamamotoi is distributed in the tropical and subtropical forest of Southeast Asia and Japan. Mitrastemon matudae is distributed from Southern Mexico to Colombia.

Species

Two species are known. M. matudae is found in Central America, while M. yamamotoi is found in Southeast Asia and Japan.

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References
  1. Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III" (PDF). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  2. Mitrastemonaceae Makino
  3. Daniel L Nickrent; et al. (2004), "Phylogenetic inference in Rafflesiales: the influence of rate heterogeneity and horizontal gene transfer", BMC Evolutionary Biology, 4: 40, doi:10.1186/1471-2148-4-40, PMC 528834, PMID 15496229
  4. Reveal, J. (2010). "(1923) Proposal to conserve the name Mitrastemon (Rafflesiaceae) with that spelling". Taxon. 59 (1): 299–300. doi:10.1002/tax.591035. JSTOR 27757079.
  5. Brummitt, R. K. (2011). "Report of the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants: 63". Taxon. 60 (4): 1202–10. doi:10.1002/tax.604025. JSTOR 41317342.
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