''Allotropa virgata'' is in the family
Ericaceae and is the only species of the genus ''Allotropa''. It is a
perennial plant that gets its common names from the distinct white and red or maroon stripes along its erect
peduncle Peduncle may refer to:
*Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed
*Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body
**Peduncle (art ...
. ''A. virgata'' are nongreen as they lack
chlorophyll
Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to a ...
, instead obtaining nutrition from neighboring green plants through a
fungal intermediate.
Its common names include sugarstick, candystriped allotropa and barber's pole.
Range
''Allotropa virgata'' was first collected by the
Wilkes Expedition in the Cascade Mountains of Washington in the late 1800s.
It is found in the oak, coniferous and hardwood forests of the Pacific Northwest. It grows from 75 to 3000 meters in elevation in the
High Sierra Nevada,
High Cascade Range and up through
British Columbia. There is also suitable habitat in
Idaho,
Nevada, and
Montana.
Ecology
''Allotropa virgata'' feeds primarily on
matsutake mushroom (''Tricholoma matsutake'')
mycelium, and also possibly that of the similar ''
Tricholoma magnivelare
''Tricholoma magnivelare'' is a gilled mushroom found East of the Rocky Mountains in North America growing in coniferous woodland. These ectomycorrhizal fungi are typically edible species that exist in a symbiotic relationship with various specie ...
''.
''Allotropa virgata'' was listed as a 'sensitive' species in 1998.
It is a clonal species that spreads through its extensive lateral root system, to lengths up to 4 feet and 2 feet deep. Because it spreads underground through buds on the lateral roots, it is able to survive ground fires if the host tree of its fungal hosts are not killed as well.
''Allotropa virgata'' is pollinated by bumblebees,
sweat bees, and some
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species.
Description
''Allotropa virgata'' has an underground stem (
rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
) with brittle roots. The scale-like leaves are along the striped peduncle with a
raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
-like
inflorescence. The peduncle is persistent after the seeds have been dispersed and tends to turn brown. The
bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
s of the inflorescence are less than 3 cm and the pedicels are not recurved. The stems stand up to 40 centimeters tall. Standing dead stems, which darken to a reddish-brown with no white, from prior years' growth are often present.
The individual flowers generally do not have
sepals but if they do, have 2 to 4. Often the petals of the flower are incorrectly considered sepals. The
corolla
Corolla may refer to:
*Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit
*Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name
* Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown
* ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...
has 5 white petals in a cup shape, all petals are free and concave. From the corolla there are 10 protruding stamens, maroon in color, with
dehiscent
Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...
anthers. The superior ovary has 5 chambers with a style under 2 mm and a disk-like stigma. The short
nectary is disk-like as well with 10 lobes.
The fruit of ''A. virgata'' are capsules which
dehisce lengthwise through the ovary wall near the center of each of the 5 chambers. This dehiscence allows the many fusiform seeds from each chamber to be dispersed.
Etymology
''Allotropa'' is derived from
Greek and means 'different nourishment' (''allo''– 'different', 'other'; ''tropus''– 'nourishment').
[Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 43, 389]
Further reading
* Hickman, J.C. 1993. The Jepson Manuel: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press: 545
www.calflora.orgBerkeley University's CalPhotos
References
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15940376, from2=Q150950
Monotropoideae
Monotypic Ericaceae genera
Flora of California
Flora of the United States