Marcgravia evenia

Marcgravia evenia is a species of flowering vine in the family Marcgraviaceae. Within this family it belongs to the Galetae group, which is characterized by a long inflorescence axis and boat shaped nectaries.[1] The plant is endemic to Cuba.

Marcgravia evenia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Marcgraviaceae
Genus: Marcgravia
Species:
M. evenia
Binomial name
Marcgravia evenia
Krug & Urb.

Bat ecology

Marcgravia evenia relies on Monophyllus, a Cuban nectar-feeding bat,[2] for pollination. This plant has evolved bowl shaped leaves which act as reflectors for a bat's biosonar.[3] This helps the bats to find the plants with greater ease and hence pollinate them with more frequency. The shape of the leaves also helps to guide the bats in locating the hidden feeders.[4] The reflectors are convergent with those of a Bornean pitcher plant, Nepenthes hemsleyana, that attracts bats to its pitchers as roosting sites and uses bat guano as a source of nutrition.[5]

References
  1. Dressler, S. (2000). A new species of Marcgravia (Marcgraviaceae) from Amazonia with some notes on the Galeatae group including a key. Willdenowia 30, 369-374 https://www.jstor.org/pss/3997403
  2. "National Geographic and European Scientists Name New "Talking Plant"". Blogcritics. July 28, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  3. Simon, R.; Holderied, M.W.; Koch, C.U.; von Helversen, O. (2011). "Floral Acoustics: Conspicuous Echoes of a Dish-Shaped Leaf Attract Bat Pollinators [S.l.]". Science. 333 (6042): 631–633. doi:10.1126/science.1204210. PMID 21798950.
  4. Gill, Victoria (July 29, 2011). "Plants Evolved a Bat Beckoning Beacon". BBC Nature. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  5. Schöner, M. G.; Schöner, C. R.; Simon, R.; Grafe, T. Ulmar; Puechmaille, S. J.; Ji, L. L.; Kerth, G. (2015-07-09). "Bats Are Acoustically Attracted to Mutualistic Carnivorous Plants". Current Biology. 25 (14): 1911–1916. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.05.054. PMID 26166777.
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