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Within our collection we have over 70 species of Philodendron. If you are seeking other photos, click this link: |
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Philodendron sagittifolium
Liebm.
This page is the photographic
documentation of the development of a spathe and spadix of
Philodendron sagittifolium during anthesis (reproduction).
It is important you read the attached link before reading the information on this page. If you do not have a basic understanding of the pollination of aroid species you will not be able to understand all of this information! READ THIS LINK FIRST The leaves of Philodendron sagittifolium can grow quite large and the inflorescences stand erect. The plant is capable of producing one or more inflorescences per axil. I have previously described the "axil" as a plant structure but the correct explanation of the term "axil" comes from Dr. Tom Croat, "The “axil” is not really a plant structure but quite simply the axis of the stem and petiole. Inflorescences emerge from a bud in the axis of the petiole." We have physically observed up to 5 inflorescences at the same time on our specimen. However, the color and shape of the spathe may be variable and may not match the photos on this page exactly. A spathe is not a flower, but instead is simply a modified leaf used for reproduction. The flowers, both male and female, develop on the spadix at the center of the inflorescence. Reproduction is explained by Julius Boos in the attached link. The peduncle, which is the plant structure that supports the spathe, normally measures 4 to 5cm long (1.5 to 2 inches). The spathe is somewhat flattened and green, but is often tinged with red on the inside. The spathe usually measures 8 to 22cm (3.4 to 8.6 inches) in length. The spathe below is on the larger end of that scale. But since the spathe can be somewhat variable the interior is sometimes not the color shown. We have observed the spathe to be narrow at the center but that does not always occur as can be seen in the photo on the main page of this website for this species. We have observed small spathes that are almost totally tubular.
Pollination in nature is done by a species of Scarab beetle. The beetles remain inside the spathe only long enough to pollinate the female flowers, eat some of the pollen, find shelter from the cool rain forest night, and breed. French researcher Dr. Marc Gibernau from the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France has studied aroid pollination since 1998. Marc added this explanation, "one reason for the beetles to leave the inflorescence which is a great place to stay is that the spathes close and force the beetles up along the spadix. Once above the male zone they will eat some of the pollen. If they don't go up they can finish by crashing the spathe against the spadix, I observed it once in French Guiana. So the plants "decide" when the pollinators arrive and depart." The Cyclocephala beetles in Marc's photo can be seen near the bottom of a Philodendron spadix as they eat the pollen.In both early May and in early June of 2008 we had groups of spathes develop on each of two axils. The photos here of a single specimen developed on our Philodendron sagittifolium in June and then entered anthesis. This time I was determined to track that inflorescence photographically and as a result stayed up almost continually for some 36 hours plus. This is the photographic record of the opening and closing of that spathe over a 2 day period. Some of the information is simply my personal observations but other material (which is credited )was provided by aroid botanist Dr. Tom Croat of Missouri Botanical Garden who is America's top aroid botanist. Additional material was taken from his published journals. A great deal of the information and explanation was provided by aroid expert Julius Boos with input by Marc Gibernau and Leland Miyano. If you are unfamiliar with the pollination of aroid species READ THIS LINK before continuing. Otherwise, you will not understand the progress shown in these photographs.
A note of explanation:
An unfurled inflorescence of
Philodendron sagittifolium Day one This spathe of Philodendron sagittifolium opened in the early morning hours. In all likelihood the even began well before we made the first observation. There is a second spathe directly behind this one, another to the left, and two above. All will eventually open in progression and all are on the same axil. A total of 5. The spathe measures 21cm (8.25 inches). This photo were taken in the late afternoon on day one of the event.
Approximately 9:00PM
French aroid pollination researcher
Marc Gibernau provided these additional comments: "I
found it surprising the resin is produced a few hours after the
spathe
Midnight
Day two
Although we do
everything possible in the Exotic Rainforest atrium to provide "rain
forest" conditions including high humidity, multiple overhead
watering twice daily, and as perfect slightly filtered light as is
possible, it appears the plant still knows it is not in its natural
conditions. 6:30AM
.
11:50AM
French aroid pollination researcher and expert
Marc Gibernau has stated the spathe and spadix lie at an angle of
approximately 45 degrees to the vertical for a purpose. The
angle is more effective for the heat of thermogenesis to be
dissipated along with the spadices' pheromones into the air of the
rain forest night. Notice what occurs in the next
photograph.
6:30PM
From Dr. Tom Croat,
"the receptivity of the female flowers is short once the spathe
is open. They are protogynous, of course, like most Araceae but
also promptly timed to be receptive only at anthesis on the first
night of flowering. This prevents self pollination."
And from Julius Boos:
The
blooming/anthesis cycle of this species lasts 2 days. The lower
portion (the tube) of the spathe never opens in this species,
probably in the entire genus. I do not believe that this
spathe could trap the Scarab beetle pollinators even if it wanted to
as they are strong animals. I once collected about a dozen of them
from a bloom in the jungle of E. Ecuador, and was unable to ''hold
on'' to them for long as they would burrow (painfully, I may add!)
between my fingers and out of my tightly closed fist.
This is a totally different spadix photographed more than one week later. "Pollen" appears to be seen beginning to develop near the apex (top). Please read our note below regarding the consistency of this "pollen".
The spathe has been sliced away in the photo (right) to allow exposure of the interior.
As you are
If this is "pollen", the consistency on the spadix at
right may
have been altered as a result of the perpetual high humidity and twice daily
overhead misting in our atrium. Our atrium is often watered twice
each day to simulate a natural rain forest. Normal Philodendron
pollen (photo left) is much "fluffier" and not as compacted as is seen in this and
other
photographs below. We are attempting to verify if the pollen for this
species should normally be this compressed and "thick". Julius
comments, "I
don`t see the typical pollen 'threads' which are rope like on other Philodendron
sps. Aside from the watering, which may have washed the pollen threads
away or at least diluted or thinned them, I do see what looks like a paste-like
substance where pollen should be seen."
The photograph of the "pollel" is of a second spadix with the spathe cut away, not the one in the original photographs seen on this page. The spathe lamina began to wrap so tightly around the spadix the outer layers had to be cut away to reveal the interior. The event could not have been observed or photographed without the removal of the shielding spathe lamina which was blocking the event inside the spathe from view. So now we know "where" the male flowers were all along, but where were the female flowers?
So where are the female flowers? This is
Julius Boos' excellent explanation of what I could not originally see.
Read this carefully. It explains a great deal of what I was missing!
I've added the photo of the spathe cut away so you can examine it as you
read. This second photo has been purposely left enlarged.
The first shows the zone of female flowers which is hidden beneath a
portion of the lower spathe.
Above this is the
resin covered and stained male section of flowers extending upwards to
the tip of the spadix. In this case the spadix is said to be fertile to
the tip, but in some Philodendrons and in some other bisexual aroids
there is a sterile area of male flowers near the tip (or apex) also thought to be
involved in scent production. At male anthesis the fertile portion would
be seen to be covered in pollen extruded by the male flowers, this
pollen under natural conditions in the jungle would adhere to the
emerging beetles glued to their shiny surfaces by the resin seen as a
reddish stain on this portion of the spadix.
Marc Gibernau added, "The sterile zone just above the female zone is constituted of sterile flowers rich in lipids which are normally eaten by the beetles. I don't think that they produce any scent (but I'm not 100% sure). I would more suspect the male flowers produced the odor. If you have more inflos coming up you can verify this point by wrapping plastic bags around the 2 zones and smell them after a while, but don't wait too long because during the heating period they will fill with water because of the exaggerated evaporation."
My sincere thanks to Dr. Croat, Julius Boos, Marc Gibernau, and Leland Miyano. This message came from Dr. Croat after briefly reviewing this page: "I read your piece on the flowering behavior of Philodendron sagittifolium and can find no fault with it."
If you failed to read the link below much
of the information found on this page will be of little value!
Want to learn more
about aroids?
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