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Brandegea bigelovii [Desert Starvine]


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Rørslett, B. 2013. Brandegea bigelovii (S.Wats.)Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae). Desert Starvine. Flowers photographed in visible and ultraviolet light. http://www.ultraviol...esert-starvine/

 

Brandegea bigelovii (S.Wats.)Cogn.

EN: Desert Starvine

 

A small climbing vine endemic to deserts of California and Arizona (USA) and northern Mexico . The genus Brandegea is monotypic. . The palmate-shaped leaves are dotted with bright hair-like glands. Axillary inflorescences carry a few, tiny cream white flowers which either are staminate (male) or pistillate (female), the latter being usually only one per cluster of flowers. B. bigelovii occurs in canyons and washes of the deserts at lower elevations (

 

Plants photographed in a wash in Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA 5 Mar 2012. Elevation about 780 m. The plants entwined Cercidium and Justicia thickets. Only a few flowers had opened at that time so the material at disposal was somewhat limited.

 

BRAN_BIG_G1203052780_VIS.jpg

Image reference: BRAN_BIG_G1203052780_VIS.jpg

Visible light: Nikon D3X, Voigtländer 125 mm f/2.5 APO-Lanthar lens, daylight.

 

BRAN_BIG_I1203054463_UV.jpg

Image reference: BRAN_BIG_I1203054463_UV.jpg

Ultraviolet light: Nikon D40X, UV-Nikkor 105 mm f/4.5 lens, Baader U 2" (Venus) filter, SB-140 flash.

 

The tiny flowers have a corolla densely covered with conical cells. Iridescence is seen as well. The flower centre is darker in UV. The monoecious flowers are easily identifiable in UV as well. Inflorescence and tendrils appear very dark in UV, while the foliage is a medium tonality.

 

[Published 30 Apr 2013]

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