''Triphyophyllum peltatum'' is a facultatively carnivorous,Walker, C. (2023)
Triggered by phosphorous [''sic''
deficiency.">'sic''">Triggered by phosphorous [''sic''
deficiency.Nature Plants, 9(6), 853-853. up to 60 m tall vineCross, A., Krueger, T., Restoration Ecology Lab, Ecological Health Network, & Missouri Botanical Garden. (2020, November 26). Save me, Seymour! The increasingly dire plight of Darwin’s “Most wonderful plants in the world.” Natural History of Ecological Restoration. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://mbgecologicalrestoration.wordpress.com/2020/11/26/save-me-seymour-the-increasingly-dire-plight-of-darwins-most-wonderful-plants-in-the-world/ in the monotypic genus ''Triphyophyllum'' in the family Dioncophyllaceae native to tropical western Africa, in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone where it grows in tropical rainforest.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

It is a facultatively carnivorous, heterophyllous, up to 60 m tall vine with glabrous, terete stems. It has a three-stage lifecycle, each with a different shaped leaf, as indicated by its Greek name. In the first stage, ''T. peltatum'' forms a rosette of simple lanceolate Dracaena-like leaves about in length with undulate margins. At times when there is insufficient

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol P and atomic number 15. All elemental forms of phosphorus are highly Reactivity (chemistry), reactive and are therefore never found in nature. They can nevertheless be prepared ar ...

in the soil it develops long, slender, glandular, circinate leaves up to in length and bearing two sorts of glands, and resembling those of the related '' Drosophyllum'', which capture insects; there being one to three of these leaves in each rosette. In the plant's adult liana form it has short non-carnivorous leaves bearing a pair of " grappling hooks" at their tips on a long twining stem which can become in length and thick. ''T. peltatum'' is the largest of all confirmed carnivorous plants in the world, but its carnivorous nature did not become known until 1979, over 50 years after the plant's scientific description.Green, S., Green, T. L., & Heslop-Harrison, Y. (1979)
Seasonal heterophylly and leaf gland features in ''Triphyophyllum'' (Dioncophyllaceae), a new carnivorous plant genus.
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 78(2), 99-116.

Generative characteristics

The axillary, branched, cymose, few-flowered or many-flowered inflorescence bears up to 80 small, ephemeral, fragrant, white to pink,''Triphyophyllum'', das Hakenblatt. (n.d.). Gesellschaft Für Fleischfressende Pflanzen. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://www.carnivoren.org/karnivoren/gattungen/triphyophyllum/ bisexual, actinomorphic, pedicellate flowers. The pedicel is up to 3 cm long. The flower has 5 triangular, 2 mm long sepals, and 5 obovate, 13 mm long petals. The androecium consists of 10 stamens. The style is very short.Porembski, S., Barthlott, W. (2003)
Dioncophyllaceae.
In: Kubitzki, K., Bayer, C. (eds) Flowering Plants · Dicotyledons. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, vol 5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. The up to 4 cm wide, 1-seeded, 4–5-valved capsule fruit bears discoid, papery, flat, winged, circular, pink to red, 5–8(–10) cm wide seedsSchmid-Hollinger, R. (n.d.). ''Triphyophyllum peltatum'' (“Hakenblatt”). Retrieved March 30, 2025, from https://www.bio-schmidhol.ch/de/Fleischfressende_Pflanzen/triphyophyllumSlack, A. (2000).
Carnivorous Plants.
pp. 231–232. Vereinigtes Königreich: MIT Press. with an up to 5.5 cm long funiculus extending beyond the fruit. Most of the seed's development occurs ''outside'' the fruit. The seeds are wind-dispersed.

Cytology

The chromosome count is 2n = 24, 36.Fibres.
pp. 438–440. (2012). Niederlande: Prota Foundation.

Taxonomy

''Triphyophyllum peltatum'' was first described as ''Dioncophyllum peltatum'' by John Hutchinson and John McEwan Dalziel in 1927.''Triphyophyllum peltatum'' (Hutch. & Dalziel) Airy Shaw. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:317595-1 It was moved to a new monotypic genus ''Triphyophyllum'' as ''Triphyophyllum peltatum'' by Herbert Kenneth Airy Shaw in 1952.''Triphyophyllum'' Airy Shaw. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:14246-1

Etymology

The generic name ''Triphyophyllum'' is derived from ''tri'' meaning ''three'', ''phyo'' meaning ''to grow'', and ''phyllum'' meaning ''leaf''. It refers to the three growth stages of the plant with three different types of leaves. The specific epithet ''peltatum'' means ''shield-like'' and refers to the discoid seeds,Stach, G., & Timmann, L. (2006, February 11). Species: ''Triphyophyllum peltatum'' (Hutchinson & Dalziel) Airy Shaw, . Die Karnivoren-Datenbank. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from https://www.fleischfressendepflanzen.de/db/species.ffp?id=35 which have a long stalk that extends the seed beyond the capsule fruit.

Distribution and habitat

''Triphyophyllum'' is found in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where it occurs in primary and old secondary dry evergreen rainforests. The habitat has a 6–7 month dry season. The acid, nutrient-poor soil is shallow.

Conservation

It is a rare and endangered species.

Cultivation

''Triphyophylum peltatum'' is difficult to cultivate. It is cultivated in several botanical gardens:

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,Mangel weckt den Appetit auf Fleisch. (2023, May 16). Universität Würzburg. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/single/news/mangel-weckt-den-appetit-auf-fleisch/

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and

, and is exceedingly rare in private collections.

Uses

''Triphyophyllum peltatum'' is traditionally used in folk medicine in the treatment of elephantiasis, and malaria. It produces many pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites, some of which have been found to have strong antiplasmodial activity. Some metabolites were found to have antitumoral and anti-multiple myeloma activity. The stems are used as tying material.

References

External links

The Carnivorous Plant FAQ: About ''Triphyophyllum''
* Bringmann, G., H. Rischer, J. Schlauer, K. Wolf, A. Kreiner, M. Duschek & L.A. Assi 2002. ''

Carnivorous Plant Newsletter The ''Carnivorous Plant Newsletter'' is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS), the largest such organization in the world. It is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. History and editorship The news ...

'' 31(2): 44–52. * Bringmann, G., J. Schlauer, K. Wolf, H. Rischer, U. Buschbom, A. Kreiner, F. Thiele, M. Duschek & L.A. Assi 1999. ''

'' 28(1): 7–13. * Bringmann, G., M. Wenzel, H.P. Bringmann & J. Schlauer 2001. ''

'' 30(1): 15–21. * Jonathan 1992. ''

'' 21(3): 51–53. * Rice, B. 2007. Carnivorous plants with hybrid trapping strategies. ''

'' 36(1): 23–27. * Simons, P. 1981. ''

'' 10(3): 65–68, 79–80. {{Taxonbar, from=Q17410325, from2=Q1569921 Caryophyllales Carnivorous plants of Africa Flora of Guinea Flora of Ivory Coast Flora of Liberia Flora of Sierra Leone Monotypic Caryophyllales genera Plants described in 1927 Taxa named by John Hutchinson (botanist) Taxa named by John McEwan Dalziel