Lobelia deckenii
Encyclopedia
Lobelia deckenii is a species of giant lobelia
of the mountains of East Africa
. It grows in moist areas, such as valley bottoms and moorland, in contrast to Lobelia telekii
which grows in a similar, but drier habitat. These two species produce occasional hybrids. Lobelia deckenii plants often produce multiple rosettes, and plants with more rosettes flower more frequently. It is iteroparous.
Lobelia deckenii plants usually consist of between one and eighteen rosettes, connected underground. Individual rosettes grow slowly in the alpine environment. Individual rosettes may take decades to reach reproductive size, then die after flowering, but the connected rosettes live on.
Lobelia deckenii is the only alpine species of lobelia that lives on Kilimanjaro.
Lobelia deckenii ssp. keniensis is the variety of Lobelia deckenii that lives on Mount Kenya
, between 3,300m and 4,600m (10,800 - 15,100ft). It less eaten by rock hyrax than Lobelia telekii, which occurs more often in hyrax habitat. Lobelia species on Mount Kenya are all pollinated by bird
s, especially the Red-tufted Sunbird
(also known as the Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird) and the Alpine Chat.
This species of giant lobelia is known for the reservoirs of water held in its rosettes, which freeze at night and protects the apical meristem held in a dense central leaf bud. When this reservoir is drained, the temperature of inner meristem drops below freezing, which does not occur when the fluid is left intact.
The crescent-shaped ice cubes formed in these rosettes give rise to the nickname, "Gin-and-tonic Lobelia".
Lobelia
Lobelia is a genus of flowering plant comprising 360–400 species, with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions...
of the mountains of East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. It grows in moist areas, such as valley bottoms and moorland, in contrast to Lobelia telekii
Lobelia telekii
Lobelia telekii is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae, that is found only in the alpine zones of Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon, and the Aberdare Mountains of East Africa. It lives at high altitudes on well-drained sloped hillsides...
which grows in a similar, but drier habitat. These two species produce occasional hybrids. Lobelia deckenii plants often produce multiple rosettes, and plants with more rosettes flower more frequently. It is iteroparous.
Lobelia deckenii plants usually consist of between one and eighteen rosettes, connected underground. Individual rosettes grow slowly in the alpine environment. Individual rosettes may take decades to reach reproductive size, then die after flowering, but the connected rosettes live on.
Lobelia deckenii is the only alpine species of lobelia that lives on Kilimanjaro.
Lobelia deckenii ssp. keniensis is the variety of Lobelia deckenii that lives on Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian , Nelion and Point Lenana . Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, around north-northeast of the capital Nairobi...
, between 3,300m and 4,600m (10,800 - 15,100ft). It less eaten by rock hyrax than Lobelia telekii, which occurs more often in hyrax habitat. Lobelia species on Mount Kenya are all pollinated by bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, especially the Red-tufted Sunbird
Red-tufted Sunbird
The Red-tufted Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.-References:...
(also known as the Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird) and the Alpine Chat.
This species of giant lobelia is known for the reservoirs of water held in its rosettes, which freeze at night and protects the apical meristem held in a dense central leaf bud. When this reservoir is drained, the temperature of inner meristem drops below freezing, which does not occur when the fluid is left intact.
The crescent-shaped ice cubes formed in these rosettes give rise to the nickname, "Gin-and-tonic Lobelia".