Strongylodon macrobotrys
From Wikipedia -
Strongylodon macrobotrys, commonly known as Jade Vine, Emerald Vine or Turquoise Jade Vine, is a species of leguminous perennial woody vine, native to the tropical forests of the Philippines. Its local name is Tayabak. A member of the Fabaceae (the pea and bean family), it is closely related to beans such as kidney bean and runner bean.
Strongylodon macrobotrys is pollinated by bats.
The vine can grow up to 18 metres in height. The pale green foliage consists of three leaflets. The claw-shaped flowers are carried in pendent trusses or pseudoracemes of 75 or more flowers and can reach as much as 3 metres long. The turquoise flower color is similar to some forms of the minerals turquoise and jade, varying from blue-green to mint green. The short, oblong, fleshy seed pods are up to 15 cm long and contain up to 12 seeds.
The plant grows beside streams in damp forests, or in ravines. The inflorescences are only produced by mature vines. Each individual bloom resembles a stout-bodied butterfly with folded wings - they have evolved certain modifications to allow them to be pollinated by a species of bat that hangs upside down on the inflorescence to drink its nectar. The flowers are also visited by a species of wasp, and are home to a species of butterfly.
The characteristic flower coloration has been shown to be an example of copigmentation, a result of the presence of malvin (an anthocyanin) and saponarin (a flavone glucoside) in the ratio 1:9. Under the alkaline conditions (pH 7.9) found in the sap of the epidermal cells, this combination produced a pink pigmentation; the pH of the colorless inner floral tissue was found to be lower, at pH 5.6. Experiments showed that saponarin produced a strong yellow colouring in slightly alkaline conditions, resulting in the greenish tone of the flower.
Strongylodon macrobotrys
From Wikipedia -
Strongylodon macrobotrys, commonly known as Jade Vine, Emerald Vine or Turquoise Jade Vine, is a species of leguminous perennial woody vine, native to the tropical forests of the Philippines. Its local name is Tayabak. A member of the Fabaceae (the pea and bean family), it is closely related to beans such as kidney bean and runner bean.
Strongylodon macrobotrys is pollinated by bats.
The vine can grow up to 18 metres in height. The pale green foliage consists of three leaflets. The claw-shaped flowers are carried in pendent trusses or pseudoracemes of 75 or more flowers and can reach as much as 3 metres long. The turquoise flower color is similar to some forms of the minerals turquoise and jade, varying from blue-green to mint green. The short, oblong, fleshy seed pods are up to 15 cm long and contain up to 12 seeds.
The plant grows beside streams in damp forests, or in ravines. The inflorescences are only produced by mature vines. Each individual bloom resembles a stout-bodied butterfly with folded wings - they have evolved certain modifications to allow them to be pollinated by a species of bat that hangs upside down on the inflorescence to drink its nectar. The flowers are also visited by a species of wasp, and are home to a species of butterfly.
The characteristic flower coloration has been shown to be an example of copigmentation, a result of the presence of malvin (an anthocyanin) and saponarin (a flavone glucoside) in the ratio 1:9. Under the alkaline conditions (pH 7.9) found in the sap of the epidermal cells, this combination produced a pink pigmentation; the pH of the colorless inner floral tissue was found to be lower, at pH 5.6. Experiments showed that saponarin produced a strong yellow colouring in slightly alkaline conditions, resulting in the greenish tone of the flower.