The magical plant "Single-leaf Cape Moss", which only grows one leaf and only blooms once in a lifetime, has recently bloomed precious blue flowers in the reserve greenhouse of Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden in Songjiang, and the flowering period is expected to continue until the end of this month.
flower
"Single-leaf cape moss", also known as viola leaf orchid and single-leaf cape primrose, is a perennial herb of the genus Cape Moss of the family Gris, native to the subtropical forests of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, often growing on cool and moist rock walls.
plant
"In the huge family of bitter moss, there is such a magical plant, they only grow one leaf in their life, only once flower, after the flower, the fruit is ripe, the whole plant will wither and die. The 'single-leaf cape moss' we cultivate in the nursery is just that amazing. Wang Qi, an engineer in the Horticultural Landscape Department of Chenshan Botanical Garden, introduced that general plants will continue to pull out their leaves from the growth point during the growth stage, while the base of the heart-shaped leaves of "single-leaf cape moss" will continue to extend, and the huge leaves will expand outward like lichens, which can be up to about 60 centimeters. When the extension stops, 3 to 5 inflorescences emerge from the base of the leaf veins, and each inflorescence can produce 20 to 30 tubular pale blue florets.
Leaves and inflorescences
"What is particularly interesting is that the leaves of 'single-leaf cape moss' also have a strange phenomenon of 'delamine lines'." Wang Qi said that usually in the autumn and winter, the leaves of such plants will form a "clear boundary" and "black and white" "off-layer line" in the middle, and the color of the area outside the "off-layer line" to the tip of the leaf will slowly fade until it withers and withers, and within the "off-layer line" it will maintain evergreen and will continue to grow. This is different from most plant leaves when they are defoliated, where the leaves are disconnected from the base of the petiole.
Off-layer line
"According to the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, the exhibition greenhouse is not open at present. We will continue to carefully conserve 'Cape Moss single leaf' in the reserve nursery greenhouse. Wang Qi said.
Text: Wang Yingfei
Photo: Correspondent Wang Qi
Editors: Jia Li, Lu Jia, Qin Tian