Calceolaria uniflora (syn. Calceolaria darwinii, known as Darwin's slipper) is a perennial plant of the genus Calceolaria, known as the slipperworts. It is originally from Tierra del Fuego in the southern part of South America.[2]

Darwin's slipper
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Calceolariaceae
Genus: Calceolaria
Species:
C. uniflora
Binomial name
Calceolaria uniflora
Synonyms[1]
  • Calceolaria nana Sm.
  • Calceolaria monanthos Poir.
  • Calceolaria darwinii Benth.
  • Fagelia darwinii (Benth.) Kuntze
  • Fagelia nana (Sm.) Kuntze
  • Fagelia uniflora (Lam.) Kuntze
  • Calceolaria minima Witasek
  • Calceolaria uniflora var. darwinii (Benth.) Witasek ex Reiche
  • Calceolaria uniflora var. minima (Witasek) Reiche
  • Calceolaria uniflora var. silvestris Skottsb.

Calceolaria uniflora is a mountain plant growing only to 10 cm (4 in) tall. The flowers are a compound of yellow, white and brownish red.[2]

Calceolaria uniflora is an ornithophilic plant and is pollinated by the least seedsnipe. The seedsnipe eats the conspicuous white floral appendage on the lower lip of the flower, which is high in sugars. While the seedsnipe pecks at this appendage, the stigma and anthers of the flower tap the head and back of the seedsnipe distributing and receiving pollen, ensuring that pollen will be transferred to the next Calceolaria unifora that is visited by the seedsnipe.[3][4]

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References

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  1. ^ "Calceolaria uniflora Lam". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Ullmann, H. F. (2004). Botanica: The Illustrated A–Z of Over 10,000 Garden Plants and How to Cultivate Them. Könemann. pp. 166–167. ISBN 3-8331-1253-0.
  3. ^ Sérsic, A. N.; Cocucci, A. A. (1996). "A Remarkable Case of Ornithophily in Calceolaria: Food Bodies as Rewards for a Non-nectarivorous Bird". Botanica Acta. 109 (2): 172–176. doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.1996.tb00558.x.
  4. ^ Candeias, Matt (2021). In Defense of Plants. Mango. pp. 88–89.

Bibliography

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  • Sheader, Martin & Sheader, Anna-Liisa (2015). "Patagonian alpines". The Plantsman. New Series. 14 (1): 16–21.
  • Sérsic, A. N.; Cocucci, A. A. (1996). "A Remarkable Case of Ornithophily in Calceolaria : Food Bodies as Rewards for a Non-nectarivorous Bird*". Botanica Acta. 109 (2): 172–176. doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.1996.tb00558.x.
  • Candeias, Matt. (2021). In Defense of Plants. Mango. 88–89.