Helixanthera schizocalyx
Encyclopedia
Helixanthera schizocalyx is a species of loranth
, or tropical mistletoe
, discovered by a research team from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
on Mount Mabu
in northern Mozambique
in 2008. In December 2010, it was announced that it was a new discovery and determined to be vulnerable to extinction.
. Helixanthera schizocalyx has been found attached to the branches of stunted trees such as the Psychotria zombamontana of the coffee family
that grow where wet montane forests give way to bare granite peaks at the summit of Mount Mabu.
Helixanthera schizocalyx, which reaches a height of 50cm, is hairless and parasitic. Its leaves are in opposite pairs and are thin and elliptic in shape. Mature flowers have not been observed, and senior research botanist at Kew, Bill Baker, said that berries have not yet been observed either. Five specimens have been collected as of December 2010.
The genus Helixanthera is apparently notable within the loranths in that most species seem to have flowers pollinated by insects, as opposed to birds.
and Tanzania
.
In December 2010, scientists at Kew confirmed that it was a new species and that it is globally threatened and vulnerable to extinction because of its limited distribution. Helixanthera schizocalyx is listed at the top of Kew's "botanical discoveries of 2010" list.
Loranthaceae
Loranthaceae is a family of flowering plants, which has been universally recognized by taxonomists. It consists of about 75 genera and 1,000 species of woody plants, many of them hemi-parasites, all of them except three having the mistletoe habit...
, or tropical mistletoe
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. The plants in question grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub.-Mistletoe in the genus Viscum:...
, discovered by a research team from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
on Mount Mabu
Mount Mabu
Mount Mabu is both a mountain and its associated virgin rainforest located in northern Mozambique. The forest covers about 7,000 hectares, while Mount Mabu itself is approximately in elevation. Even though it was known locally, the Mount Mabu forest and its extremely diverse wildlife were unknown...
in northern Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
in 2008. In December 2010, it was announced that it was a new discovery and determined to be vulnerable to extinction.
Description
Helixanthera schizocalyx is a relative of the European and North American varieties of mistletoe. It is closely related to Helixanthera verruculosa, a species known only from the Southern Highlands of TanzaniaSouthern Highlands, Tanzania
The Tanzania Southern Highlands refers to the region encompassing the four provinces of Iringa, Mbeya, Rukwa and Ruvuma. It is bordered by Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Kigoma, Tabora, Singida, Dodoma, Morogoro, Lindi and Mtwara.-Climate and geography:...
. Helixanthera schizocalyx has been found attached to the branches of stunted trees such as the Psychotria zombamontana of the coffee family
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
that grow where wet montane forests give way to bare granite peaks at the summit of Mount Mabu.
Helixanthera schizocalyx, which reaches a height of 50cm, is hairless and parasitic. Its leaves are in opposite pairs and are thin and elliptic in shape. Mature flowers have not been observed, and senior research botanist at Kew, Bill Baker, said that berries have not yet been observed either. Five specimens have been collected as of December 2010.
The genus Helixanthera is apparently notable within the loranths in that most species seem to have flowers pollinated by insects, as opposed to birds.
Discovery
Helixanthera schizocalyx was discovered in 2008 by East African butterfly specialist Colin Congdon in dense foliage on Mount Mabu in northern Mozambique. (Lepidopterists look for loranth species which support specialized butterfly species.) Congdon, who was part of a conservation and biodiversity research team from Kew, noticed that the plant was unlike any he knew from the mountains in MalawiMalawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
.
In December 2010, scientists at Kew confirmed that it was a new species and that it is globally threatened and vulnerable to extinction because of its limited distribution. Helixanthera schizocalyx is listed at the top of Kew's "botanical discoveries of 2010" list.