Nesocodon

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Nesocodon
Nesocodon mauritianus at the Conservatoire botanique national de Brest, France in 2015 july
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Subfamily: Campanuloideae
Genus: Nesocodon
Thulin[1]
Species:
N. mauritianus
Binomial name
Nesocodon mauritianus
(I.B.K.Richardson) Thulin[1]

Nesocodon is a monotypic genus of flowering plants within the family Campanulaceae. The sole species is Nesocodon mauritianus, formerly known as Wahlenbergia mauritiana, which is endemic to the island of Mauritius.

Description

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Vegetative characteristics

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Nesocodon mauritianus is a 30–40 cm big[2] dwarf shrub[1] with simple, woody,[2] straggly[3], glabrous stems bearing deep furrows from leaf scars.[2] The spirally arranged,[2] glossy,[3] lanceolate leaves with a serrate margin and an acute apex are 6 cm long, and 0.6 cm wide.[2]

Generative characteristics

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The lateral, 1-flowered inflorescence[1] is produced in the leaf axils of the upper leaves.[2]

Taxonomy

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It was first described as Wahlenbergia mauritiana I.Richardson by I.Richardson in 1979.[2][4] It was placed into a new monotypic genus Nesocodon Thulin as Nesocodon mauritianus (I.Richardson) Thulin by Mats Thulin in 1980.[1][5] It is closely related to Heterochaenia from the Mascarene Islands, but has single flowers rather than panicles of several.[6]

Ecology

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It was the first plant ever discovered to produce red-colored nectar. It was originally thought to have been pollinated by birds, however, recent investigations have demonstrated that day geckos (Phelsuma ornata) are the preferred pollinator of these flowers whereas birds function as nectar thieves.[7] The introduced red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) robs it of its nectar.[8]

Conservation

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It is a threatened species.[3]

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nesocodon.
  1. ^ a b c d e Thulin, M. (1980). Nesocodon, a New Genus in Campanulaceae. Kew Bulletin, 34(4), 813–814. https://doi.org/10.2307/4119073
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Richardson, I. B. K. (1979). A Distinctive New Species of Wahlenbergia (Campanulaceae) from Mauritius. Kew Bulletin, 33(4), 547–550. https://doi.org/10.2307/4109796
  3. ^ a b c Coleman, M. (2017, July 6). Nesocodon mauritianus. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Retrieved July 26, 2025, from https://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/25796
  4. ^ Wahlenbergia mauritiana I.Richardson. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved July 26, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/145835-1
  5. ^ Nesocodon Thulin. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved July 26, 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:5769-1
  6. ^ Wyse Jackson, P. S. (1990). "Nesocodon mauritianus: Campanulaceae". Curtis's Botanical Magazine. 7 (33). Blackwell Publishing: 113–117. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8748.1990.tb00153.x.
  7. ^ Mauritian coloured nectar no longer a mystery: a visual signal for lizard pollinators. Dennis M Hansen, Karin Beer, Christine B Müller Published 22 June 2006.DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2006.0458
  8. ^ Olesen, J. M., et al. (1998). Mauritian red nectar remains a mystery. Nature 393, 529.


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