Triphyophyllum

Triphyophyllum
File:Triphyophyllum peltatum.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Dioncophyllaceae
Genus:	Triphyophyllum
Species:	T. peltatum
Binomial name
Triphyophyllum peltatum (Hutch. & Dalz.) Airy Shaw
File:Triphyophyllum distribution.svg
Triphyophyllum distribution
Synonyms
Dioncophyllum peltatum Hutch. & Dalz. Ouratea glomerata A.Chev.

Triphyophyllum /ˌtrɪfi.oʊˈfɪləm/ is a monotypic plant genus, containing the single species Triphyophyllum peltatum. It is native to tropical western Africa, in Sierra Leone and Liberia, growing in tropical rainforests.

It is a liana, with a three-stage lifecycle, each with a different shaped leaf, as indicated by its Greek name. In the first stage, T. peltatum has simple lanceolate leaves, and looks nondescript. However, it then additionally develops long, glandular leaves, resembling those of the related Drosophyllum, which capture insects. The plant then enters its adult liana form, with short non-carnivorous leaves on a long twining stem.

T. peltatum is currently cultivated in only three botanical gardens: Abidjan, Bonn, and Würzburg. It is exceedingly rare in private collections.

• Triphyophyllum compounds.svg

  Triphyophyllum compounds; top left: R = -H: Habropetalin A; R = -OH: Dioncophyllin A.; bottom left: Dioncophyllin; bottom right: Dioncophyllin C.

References

• Bringmann, G., H. Rischer, J. Schlauer, K. Wolf, A. Kreiner, M. Duschek & L.A. Assi 2002. The Tropical Liana Triphyophyllum peltatum (Dioncophyllaceae): Formation of Carnivorous Organs is only a facultative prerequisite for shoot elongation. PDF (1.30 MiB) Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 31(2): 44–52.
• Bringmann, G., J. Schlauer, K. Wolf, H. Rischer, U. Buschbom, A. Kreiner, F. Thiele, M. Duschek & L.A. Assi 1999. Cultivation of Triphyophyllum peltatum (Dioncophyllaceae), the part-time carnivorous plant. PDF (1.25 MiB) Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 28(1): 7–13.
• Bringmann, G., M. Wenzel, H.P. Bringmann & J. Schlauer 2001. Uptake of the amino acid alaninie by digestive leaves: proof of carnivory in the tropical liana Triphyophyllum peltatum (Dioncophyllaceae). PDF (434 KiB) Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 30(1): 15–21.
• Jonathan 1992. A letter from Sierra Leone. PDF (541 KiB) Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 21(3): 51–53.
• Rice, B. 2007. Carnivorous plants with hybrid trapping strategies. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 36(1): 23–27.
• Simons, P. 1981. How Exclusive are Carnivorous Plants? PDF (1.10 MiB) Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 10(3): 65–68, 79–80.

External links

• The Carnivorous Plant FAQ: About Triphyophyllum