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Cytinus hypocistis ssp. clusii
Cytinus Ruber (?)
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Photographer: Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
ID: 0000 0000 0623 0227 (2023-06-08)Copyright © 2023 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
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INFORMATION PROVIDED WITH THE PHOTO
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date of photo May 1, 2023
latitude 44.56569 longitude 14.38547
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location
Adriatic Sea region, island Lošinj, about 500 m west of the airport Lošinj, Kvarner bay (Rijeka region, Croatia)notes Slo.: no name - syn.: Cytinus clusii (Nyman) Gand., Cytinus hypocistis var. kermesinus Guss., Cytinus hypocistis subsp. kermesinus (Guss.) Arcang., Hypocistis rubra Fourr. Cytinus ruber (Fourr.) Fritsch - Habitat: garrigue; open, dry, flat, calcareous, skeletal ground; average precipitations ~ 900 mm/year, average temperature 12-14 deg C, elevations 42 m (140 feet), Sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical region. - Substratum: red karst soil. - Comments (pertain to pictures in Flicker album Cytinus hypocistis ssp. clusii): Cytinus hypocistis ssp. clusii is a very special plant thriving mostly in the countries around Mediterranean Sea. It is an extreme holoparasite (that means living entirely from the nutrients and water of its host, having no chlorophyll at all). It is not simply attached to the root system of its host plant, as most of other parasites and half-parasites in the plant world are, but as an endophytic creature, it is living literally inside its host (Ref.1) except for its inflorescences, which appear directly from ground as a brightly red/white colored fleshy blobs. Although Mediterranean Cytinus taxa (most related plants are living in tropical and subtropical regions) have been known since ancient times, little is known about details of their life cycle, biology, process of infection, and relationship with the host. Also its taxonomy is still to some extent unsettled. Many botanists still use the name Cytinus ruber. - The plant is frequently considered as a rarity. But, since it is almost always hidden below the base of the dens bushes of its host Cistus creticus (Fig. 9), you are unlikely to find it unless you specifically look for it. Most probably it is more a frequently overlooked species than a rare one. Historically its flowers were used for food in some Mediterranean countries and since the inflorescences excretes a sweet secretion it was sucked by kids as 'natural' lollypops. Also, the fact that Cistus creticus is one of the most frequent (and beautiful, when in bloom) bush of Mediterranean garrigue and macchia, doesn't support the opinion that Cytinus hypocistis ssp. clusii is a rare plant. - Another interesting and rare phenomenon in the plant world is the fact that its sweet secretion attracts only ants, no other insects, so the plant pollination depends solely on them. So far science doesn't know why. - Ref.: (1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2759266/ (accessed June 7. 2023) (2) T. Nikolić, Flora Croatica, Vaskularna flora Republike Hrvatske, Vol. 3. Alfa d.d.. Zagreb (2020) p 427. (3) M. Blamey, C. Grey-Wilson, Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean, A & C Black, London (2005), p 32.camera Sony ILCE6000 / Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar E 16-70 mm/f4
contributor's ID # Bot_1521/2023 _DSC2733 and Bot_1522/2023 _DSC0259 photo category: Plant - annual/perennial
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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PLANT
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| common names
Cytinus Ruber (?) (photographer)
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For other uses, or if you have questions, contact Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy amadej.trnkoczy[AT]siol.net. (Replace the [AT] with the @ symbol before sending an email.) |
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