PLANT ODDITIES: CARNIVORES, PARASITES AND MYCOHETEROTROPHS

Lecture Schedule

Lecture

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Problems in Taxonomic Placement of These Odd Plants

Modification of taxonomically useful structures
Convergence in morphology due to similar adaptations
Divergence in morphology/mode of carnivory among closely related taxa
Horizontal gene transfer

Carnivores

Definition of carnivory

Ability to absorb nutrients from animals
Adaptations to lure, capture, and digest prey

Geographic distribution of carnivory

Systematic distribution of 19 genera of carnivores based on DNA evidence

Bromeliaceae: Monocots , Commelinoids (Brocchinia, Catopsis)

Droseraceae: Caryophyllids (Aldrovanda, Dionaea, Drosera, Drossophyllum)

Nepenthaceae: Caryophyllids (Nepenthes)

Dioncophyllaceae: Caryophyllids (Triphyophyllum)

Cephalotaceae: Rosids (Cephalotus)

Sarraceniaceae: "lower asterids" (Heliamphora, Sarracenia, Darlingtonia)

Roridulaceae: "lower asterids" (Roridula)

Lentibulariacae: Asterids, Lamiales (Utricularia, Pinguicula, Biovularia, Genlisea, Polypompholyx)

Byblidaceae: Asterids, Lamiales (Byblis)

Types of carnivores

Passive traps

Pitfall

Sarraceniaceae (Sarracenia, Heliamphora, Darlingtonia)
Nepenthaceae (Nepenthes)
Bromeliaceae (Brocchinia reducta)
Cephalotaceae (Cephalotus)

Lobster pot

Sarraceniaceae (Sarracenia psittacina)
Lentibulariaceae (Genlisea)

Flypaper

Byblidaceae (Byblis)
Droseraceae (Drosophyllum)
Dioncophyllaceae (Triphyophyllum peltatum)
Roridulaceae (Roridula)

Active traps

Flypaper

Droseraceae (Drosera)
Lentibulariaceae (Pinguicula)

Steel trap

Droseraceae (Dionaea, Aldrovanda)

Mouse trap

Lentibulariaceae (Utricularia, Polypompholyx)

Parasitic plants and Mycoheterotrophs

Introduction

Plant parasite vs. fungal parasite vs. plant-parasitizing-another-plant-via-a-fungus
Holoparasite vs. hemiparasite

Phylogenetic occurrence of parasites; 10+ origins

Podocarpus ustus (Podocarpaceae, gymnosperm)

Cassytha (Lauraceae, Magnoliid)

Hydnoraceae (Piperales, Magnoliid)

order Santalales (several families, unplaced Eudicots) including:

Loranthaceae (mistletoes)
Santalaceae (sandalwood)

Krameriaceae (order Zygophyllales, Rosid)

Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae, order Solanales, Asterid)

Lennoaceae (order Boraginales, Asterid)

Scrophulariaceae & Orobanchaceae (order Lamiales, Asterids)

Balanophoraceae (fungi mimics) - unplaced family

Rafflesiaceae - (Malpighiales, Rosid)
   
Mitrastemonaceae - unplaced family

Mycoheterotrophs; 10+ origins

Monotropoideae (Ericaceae)

Orchidaceae

Evolution of the parasitic and mycoheterotrophic habit