Lacandonia schismatica (Lacandonia schismatica)
Description
Lacandonia schismatica is a species of mycoheterotrophic plant in the Triuridaceae. It is endemic to Lacandon Jungle in the State of Chiapas in southern Mexico. It is known from very few populations and is considered endangered by the researchers who investigate this species. It is the only known flowering plant which in its natural population has a spatial inversion of the reproductive floral whorls (ie stamens and carpels): the stamens are positioned centrally within the flower, and the carpels arranged in a ring around them. Lacandonia schismatica is known from several small populations at altitudes around 200 m (656 ft) in the Lacandon Jungle. It grows in shady sites within this rainforest. Gerrit Davidse and Esteban Martínez noted in 1990 how the plants are "extremely localized and highly endangered" due to encroaching habitat conversion to cattle pasture. They also explain that the species is difficult to cultivate and therefore they encourage other scientists to study this unique organism's biology before it can no longer be found in the wild.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Pandanales
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Family: Triuridaceae
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Genus: Lacandonia
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