Plant of the day is: Ancistrocladus robertsoniorum
Full disclosure, all images are actually of Ancistrocladus heyneanus because there aren't any photos with creative commons licensing that exist. Give it up to Vinayaraj for for noticing this interesting genus and sharing some pictures with the rest of us in the world.
Taxonomy/etc.: This plant is without a common name as I imagine it might take quite the hunt to find out what it would be and in what language. I came across this plant today as I had the privilege of helping someone out with some RNA research into the Caryophyllales order. Plant associates don't stop just at the family level, there are also orders that group together closely related families. I do always like the representation of evolution as branches on trees.
This is a very unique plant and is the sole genus of it's family. A monogeneric family as it is called. One of it's closest relatives is actually a carnivorous species in another family, which is fairly unusual in the plant world. Much of the classification of this species and study of it's parentage is thanks to extensive research in molecular phylogenetics which uses DNA to compare similarities/differences.
Description: All species in the family are large lianas (woody vines) that can reach lengths of over 20 meters (whew!) ...and yes, the fellow I was with today used meters to describe something, I was pleased. Leaves are alternate. The vines develop a kind of a hooked thorn that helps them grapple up the sides of other trees/shrubs for support. On main stems, branching is fairly limited but the lateral (side) stems seem to branch out more and form these hook like structures, which makes sense when you think about it...they're fishing for support. I'll give you a link for a more in depth description of the flowers because it makes my head spin a little. Still a long way to go for botanical terminology.
Range: Ancistrocladus robertsoniorum can be found in the Buda coastal forest of Kenya. Next time you're in Kenya, have a look. If you want to see an Ancistrocladus a little closer to home, you can find a fine specimen of Ancistrocladus robertsoniorum in the Missouri Botanical Garden's Climatron. Look for it HERE. The sign is a little tucked away, but it is there, and it is climbing up a nearby tree, you'll see a few of the tendrils sticking out of the tree.
Why else did it make the plant today?: Glad you asked. Turns out, the African species have some really great compounds with medicinal purposes. Fairly recently A. korupensis has been considered a potential anti-AIDS source by the National Cancer institute and you can be sure pharmaceutical companies all over the world are researching this plants compounds. West African species are also showing considerable antimalarial activity...which they could certainly use in that part of the world and could benefit many others.
This shows the more dense rosette type growth
And here a bit more sparse
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