Alsomitra macrocarpa
Encyclopedia
Alsomitra macrocarpa or Javan cucumber is a gourd
-bearing liane, belonging to the pumpkin
family from the tropical Asian forests of the Malay Archipelago
and the Indonesia
n islands. Alsomitra is a genus of 12 species of vines found in Southeast Asia
, Australia
and South America
.
The unusual winged seed or samara
of this species spans some 13 cm, can glide for great distances and in the past was often found on the decks of ships at sea. The seed moves through the air like a butterfly in flight - it gains height, stalls, dips and accelerates, once again producing lift, a process termed phugoid
oscillation. This seed is said to have been the inspiration for the 1904 stable wing planform
designed by Igo Etrich
. The flight of the seeds intrigued two Japanese researchers, so much so that they published a 1987 paper in the Journal of Theoretical Biology
reporting on the aerodynamics of the seed.
The fruits or pepo
s are also remarkable in that they are football-sized (about 300mm diameter) and bell-shaped, suspended high in the forest canopy, and densely packed with large numbers of the papery winged seeds, falling from the underside of the fruit when mature. http://www.wildborneo.com.my/photo.php?k=East%20Kalimantan,%20Indonesia&p=1&i=7http://www.bambus.de/forum/66641.html?dar_start=300
The plant was first described under the name Zanonia macrocarpa in 1825 by Carl Ludwig Blume
from fruiting material collected on http://www.rockclimbing.com/images/photos/assets/8/348978-largest_parang.jpgMount Parang
] in Java
. In 1843 Max Joseph Roemer
published it under the name Alsomitra macrocarpa, including 7 other ill-fitting species in the genus, a genus he did not define. In 1881 Alfred Cogniaux
allocated the species to Macrozanonia macrocarpa.
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
-bearing liane, belonging to the pumpkin
Cucurbitaceae
The plant family Cucurbitaceae consists of various squashes, melons, and gourds, including crops such as cucumber, pumpkins, luffas, and watermelons...
family from the tropical Asian forests of the Malay Archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
and the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n islands. Alsomitra is a genus of 12 species of vines found in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
The unusual winged seed or samara
Samara (fruit)
A samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit and indehiscent . It is a winged achene...
of this species spans some 13 cm, can glide for great distances and in the past was often found on the decks of ships at sea. The seed moves through the air like a butterfly in flight - it gains height, stalls, dips and accelerates, once again producing lift, a process termed phugoid
Phugoid
A phugoid or fugoid is an aircraft motion where the vehicle pitches up and climbs, and then pitches down and descends, accompanied by speeding up and slowing down as it goes "uphill" and "downhill." This is one of the basic flight dynamics modes of an aircraft , and a classic example of a positive...
oscillation. This seed is said to have been the inspiration for the 1904 stable wing planform
Planform
In aviation, a planform is the shape and layout of a fixed-wing aircraft's fuselage and wing. Of all the myriad planforms used, they can typically be grouped into those used for low-speed flight, found on general aviation aircraft, and those used for high-speed flight, found on many military...
designed by Igo Etrich
Igo Etrich
Ignaz "Igo" Etrich , Austrian flight pioneer, pilot and fixed-wing aircraft developer.- Education :...
. The flight of the seeds intrigued two Japanese researchers, so much so that they published a 1987 paper in the Journal of Theoretical Biology
Journal of Theoretical Biology
The Journal of Theoretical Biology is a scientific journal about theoretical biology; dealing with theoretical issues, as well as mathematical and computational aspects of biology. Some research areas covered by the papers published in the journal are population genetics, morphogenesis,...
reporting on the aerodynamics of the seed.
The fruits or pepo
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
s are also remarkable in that they are football-sized (about 300mm diameter) and bell-shaped, suspended high in the forest canopy, and densely packed with large numbers of the papery winged seeds, falling from the underside of the fruit when mature. http://www.wildborneo.com.my/photo.php?k=East%20Kalimantan,%20Indonesia&p=1&i=7http://www.bambus.de/forum/66641.html?dar_start=300
The plant was first described under the name Zanonia macrocarpa in 1825 by Carl Ludwig Blume
Carl Ludwig Blume
Charles Ludwig de Blume or Karl Ludwig von Blume was a German-Dutch botanist.He was born at Braunschweig in Germany, but studied at Leiden University and spent his professional life working in the Dutch East Indies and in the Netherlands, where he was Director of the Rijksherbarium at Leiden...
from fruiting material collected on http://www.rockclimbing.com/images/photos/assets/8/348978-largest_parang.jpgMount Parang
Mount Parang
Mount Parang or Gunung Parang , is a mountain in the Purwakarta Regency of West Java in Indonesia.Located between the two main arms of the Jatiluhur Reservoir, this andesite mountain of volcanic rock shows three distinct peaks stretching some 1.5km from north to south, the highest of which is 963m...
] in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. In 1843 Max Joseph Roemer
Max Joseph Roemer
Max Joseph Roemer was a German botanist who worked in Weimar....
published it under the name Alsomitra macrocarpa, including 7 other ill-fitting species in the genus, a genus he did not define. In 1881 Alfred Cogniaux
Alfred Cogniaux
Alfred Celestin Cogniaux was a Belgian botanist. Amongst other plants, the genus Neocogniauxia of orchids is named after him.In 1916 his enormous private herbarium was acquired by the National Botanic Garden of Belgium....
allocated the species to Macrozanonia macrocarpa.
External links
- BBC video on gliding seeds
- http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/6/1/95.extractMacrozanonia and Alsomitra nomenclature - John HutchinsonJohn Hutchinson (botanist)John Hutchinson, OBE, FRS was a renowned English botanist, taxonomist and author.-Life and career:...
] - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden