Some Questions after reading a book about plants

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I'm reading the book called 'The Splendid Sansevieria' by Chahinian
B.J.. and I have some questions about this plant. I asked them on the forum about Sansevieria here : http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/sansevieria

But Sans2014
wrote me: "Have you asked this question on the Botany forum? Might
find detailed answers there. Thanks for asking as it is very
interesting".

So I decide to ask these questions here. I do not know, but maybe you write me some interesting things.

1. "Extra-floral nectar is the secretion like dew, that can be seen
at the button of the flowers in almost all sansevierias. Sometimes it
also appears under the leaves of new growths off a stolon, where the
aerial roots start to show. This nectar is deemed to attract ants, thus
deterring other noxious insects that could damage the flower parts and
interfere with pollination". (This is from book)

It's very interesting example how Sansevieria use the world. I mean
we see a symbiosis. Plant (Sansevieria) + insects (ants). Maybe
Sansevieria use the world more often. I mean maybe Sansevieria use a
symbiosis with insects more often, is it true or not? Can you write some
examples?

2. We see an example the symbiosis. Do all native Sansevierias form
this symbios with ants? What native Sansevierias are most often used
symbiosis with ants?

3. We know that some plants use mycorrhizas. I mean that some plants
form the symbiosis with fungi. Do native Sansevierias use the symbiosis
with fungi? I mean do native Sansevierias have mycorrhizas? Can you
write more about mycorrhizas in Africa (Sansevieria + fungi)? What
native Sansevierias form the most interesting symbiosis with fungi?

4. Let's talk about brain. We had no any intelligent creatures 3
billion years ago because evolution takes time, and natural selection
need time to create very smart animals. But we don't have any brain in
plants now. Let's imagine that our planet don't have people (us). And
let imagine that our planet will not have any very smart creatures like
us for the next 3 billion years. Let imagine that our planet will live
for the next 3 billion years, and our planet will be "ok" (better than now)

Can plants get the brain for next 3 billion evolution like animals
(ok, very tiny brain)? If you think "no", can you describe the most
intelligent creation (I mean only plant) in 3 billion years (for next 3
billion years)?

Can we find very smart (intelligent) plants today? I know that plants do not have a brain. But anyway can you write the plant with the
most complex (smart, interesting) behavior today? Do we have an evolution in the direction of increasing intelligence (more complex behavior) of plants? Can you describe this evolution? If we have this evolution why plants do not have any brain? We had an evolution for more than 3 billion years. It's very big numbers. Why no one plant does not even have a tiny brain (very very very tiny brain)?

5. Chahinian B.J. wrote about Sansevieria cylindric var. cylindrica "As
all the sansevierias having round leaves needs brighter light to be
properly grown. If not grown in bright light, the leaves will tend to
flop".

I have 2 Sansevieria trifasciatas "Laurentii". I'm glad because this
is a native plant or a very close plant to native plant and one of the
easiest ones to grow. But one leaf of my "Larentii" tends to flop.Why is
this happening? Do "Laurentii" need to bright light to be properly
grown? If my "Laurentii" would stand in the corner away from an window
Will the leaves tend to flop or not? When do leaves tend to flop (I mean
Sansevieria trifasciata "Laurentii")

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Comments (2)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
8 years ago
Not interested in plowing through all of those issues with you, other than the interrelationships between plants and insects.

Any plant that is not pollinated by wind or water has a relationship with insects or animals of some sort. Some of these interactions are extremely specific......an orchid that disguises itself as a type of wasp so that the insect will mate with it, collecting pollen structures (look up pollinia) in the process.

Some Stapelia have flowers that look and smell like rotting flesh in order to attract their pollinators. Bees, of course, are attracted to flowers by sight and scent and are rewarded for their pollination by large amounts of energy rich pollen and nectar.

Plants, all of them, can be said to conform to a fundamental law of evolution: Form Follows Function. Nothing about any plant occurs without a purpose. They have evolved to take advantage of insects, a vast number of birds, and mammals. There are plants which have seeds that must pass through the intestinal tract of a fruit bat in order to germinate!

About mycorrhizae....since nearly ALL plants (90-95%) make use of or rely on mycorrhizal relationships with fungi in the wild, I would assume that Sansevieria does. To research it further, look up the family (Asparagaceae) relationship.
dert17 thanked rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
geoforce
8 years ago
As to ants in symbiotic arrangements with plants a very common one is these plants having seeds with elaiosomes attached. Ants take these tasty little food bits away with them and thus carry the seeds to a wide dispersion. Many different genera of plants use this stratagem.
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Some Questions after reading a book about plants

Comments (2)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

geoforce

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