| Rock violet | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conservation status | |
| Least Concern (NCA) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Gesneriaceae |
| Genus: | Boea |
| Species: | B. hygroscopica |
| Binomial name | |
| Boea hygroscopica F.Muell. | |
Boea hygroscopica (known as rock violet) is one of 15 species of flowering plant of the Boea genus in the gesneriad family. It is considered a 'resurrection plant' because of its ability to withstand virtually total water loss. Detached leaves of B. hydroscopica can withstand desiccation by increasing the small amount of constitutive glutathione by up to 50 times.
It is endemic to Queensland, Australia and is found growing along creek beds, on moist banks and moss-covered rocks in rainforest, open forest, vine forest and gallery forest.
Description
Boea hygroscopica is an herbaceous or woody plant growing no taller than 1 m (3 ft 3 in). The flowers are 20–22 millimetres (0.8–0.9 in) in diameter and the peduncles (flower stems) are 85–90 millimetres (3.3–3.5 in) long. There are 5 petals and they are dimorphic, with 2 larger ones about 10 by 8 mm (0.4 by 0.3 in) and 3 smaller ones about 10 by 5 mm (0.4 by 0.2 in).
Gallery
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In desiccated state
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Leaf detail
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Fruit
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In cultivation
References
- "Species profile—Boea hygroscopica". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ "Boea hygroscopica F.Muell". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- Navari-Izzo; Meneguzzo; Loggini; Vazzana; Sgherri (1997). "The role of the glutathione system during dehydration of Boea hygroscopica". Physiologia Plantarum. 99 (1): 20–30. doi:10.1111/J.1399-3054.1997.TB03426.X.
- ^ F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Boea hygroscopica". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Boea hygroscopica | |