I need help identifying the following epiphytic tropical vine from the Philippines: This is one of the weirdest plants I've ever come across. It grows on tree-trunks in the Philippines, specifically I noticed them on Siargao Island, and I only know its name in the local language, talikubo. The leaf colours can vary from the pink-blushed green you see on the left (perhaps due to being in full sun?) to bright apple-green. At first I thought it was a kind of fern, but then I see that it apparently has tiny flowers, that come out from underneath the leaves . That's unusual for any flowering plant; most come out from the next node above the leaf. I've only seen these flowers as they are shown here, like unopened buds. Perhaps they open at night, or perhaps they're not flowers at all, but something else. Note that, just below the second bunch of buds down, there's a strange naked phallic excrescence. Maybe it's a flower of the other gender, or maybe it's a new shoot going off to spread around another part of the tree. If that's so, why does it grow up straight, and not have the sense to go out horizontally, right or left? The leaves, pair by pair, are like a couple of inter-locking pieces of tortoise-shell armour. (the famous Roman testudo). The leaves' edges seal in the darkness and moisture enough to allow the roots to wander over surface of the tree trunk, and pick up nutrients. They don't have to leave their shelter, but some of them do. This part is not especially strange; many creeping vines send out roots from their leaf nodes. What is very strange is that this plant's leaves are not just silly old sunshine-pullers (which are wonderful enough), but have developed a strategy of hold-onto-all in convergence with limpets. Unlike limpets, though, they can't move; but they can send out another shoot, and thus progress over the tree bark. I don't know of any other plants whose leaves have developed into small, domestic houses, where the leaf margins turn themselves into life-sustaining seals. Pictures attached.
Amazing plant. Think it is D. Imbricata. See..... http://members.tripod.com/asia_flora/dischidias.htm
thank you for your input! I agree with you, it is either Dischidia cleistantha or imbratica. I am looking to see if I can find more info on them. thanks again!
They are pretty cool plants alright! I see them for sale now and then online. Many spieces of Dischidias are shelters for ants and are closely related to Hoya's.
Hi Ed, I would love to tell you that I had seen it growing and remembered the latin name!!!!! But I can't. I am now an addicted silver surfer, so, as it has been so very wet, windy and cold here, and I can't get out to garden, I googled several word combinations till..... epiphytic philippines Scrolled through a few pages of images 'till I found a look alike !!! What an interesting plant. Thank you seattleman 1969 for such an interesting thread!
No problem, I have several more. I am close friends with an amateur naturalist who lives in the Philippines and he has many many questions regarding species he has not been able to identify to date, so keep an eye open for more!
