水中花園的珍寶
沙漠探險家
馬鞍藤 Ipomoea pes-caprae
旋花科 Convolvulaceae
It's the beach's trendsetting star, with leaves that resemble big saddles, hence the cute nickname "馬鞍藤"
Morphology
-
Leaf:
-
The leaves are single, alternate, and have petioles. The leaves have round lobes and are shaped like a saddle. The leaf margin is entire. The leaves are thickly leathery.
-
-
Fruit:
-
The fruit is a capsule, oval and smooth. Greenish-green when immature, turning dark brown and 4-lobed when mature.
-
-
Root&Stem
-
Vines. The stems are creeping, very long and creeping to the ground. Has tendrils. Each node has adventitious roots, which penetrate deeply into the soil. The whole plant is smooth.
-
-
Flower:
-
Flowers solitary or several in cymes, axillary and monoecious. Only one flower blooms at a time. Calyx 5 pieces. Pink or bluish purple. The flowering period is summer and autumn.
-
-
Seed:
-
4 densely covered with yellowish-brown hair, spherical, black.
-
Adapt to an aquatic environment
1. Salt tolerance: It grows in humid coastal areas, so it has high salt tolerance.
2. Root structure: They can penetrate deep into the soil, stabilize the plant, and absorb necessary water and nutrients.
3. Stem shape: The stems of saddle vine are often horizontal or spreading, which allows the plant to expand along the coastline and resist the attack of sea winds and tides.
4. Water storage: In addition to absorbing water from the soil, it also has the ability to store water in the tissue.
5. Reproduction strategy: Seeds are light and can float in seawater, which helps them spread.
Distributions
-
Native distribution: Native to coastal areas in tropical and subtropical areas, especially the beaches and dunes along the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
-
Current geographical distribution: It is currently widely distributed on the coastlines of tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
Ecology
Habitat: It usually growing on beaches, dunes and coastal areas. It has strong adaptability and can survive in saline-alkali soil and windy sand environment. Pollination: Depends mainly on insects for pollination, especially bees and butterflies. These insects are attracted to the flowers' bright colors and sweet nectar. Dispersal: Seeds have good buoyancy and can float in seawater for a long time, allowing them to spread over long distances in the ocean and reach new coastal areas with the movement of ocean currents.
Others
____________
Applications
1. Beach protection: Its root system can stabilize the soil and prevent the weathering and erosion of sand dunes. 2. Ornamental plants: The flowers are beautiful, and the plants spread on the beach to form a landscape. 3. Ecological conservation: It is an important part of the ecosystem of beaches and coastal areas, protecting coastal biodiversity. 4. Medicinal value: It is used as a traditional medicine in some areas, and its roots and leaves may be used to treat skin inflammation.
____________
Interesting things
What I find very interesting is that I found an article on the Internet about the migration history of the Tawu people in Lanyu. It turns out that there is such a connection between the Ma'an vine and the migration history of the Tawu people.