Lacandonia schismatica

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'''''Lacandonia schismatica''''' is a species of plant in the [[Triuridaceae]] family which has a symbiotic relationship with fungi, known as [[myco-heterotrophy]]. It is [[endemic]] to [[Lacandon Jungle]] in the State of [[Chiapas]] in southern [[Mexico]].<ref>[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=310022 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref> It is known from very few populations and is considered endangered by the researchers who investigate this species.<ref>Davidse, G. & al. (eds.) (1994). Flora Mesoamericana 6: 1-543. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.</ref> It, and its recently discovered relation ''[[Lacandonia braziliana]]'', are the only known flowering plants which in its natural population has a spatial inversion of the reproductive floral whorls (ie stamens and carpels): the two to four stamens are positioned centrally within the flower, and the 60 to 80 carpels arranged in a ring around them.<ref name="Vergara‐SilvaEspinosa‐Matías2003">{{cite journal|last1=Vergara-Silva|first1=Francisco|last2=Espinosa-Matías|first2=Silvia|last3=Ambrose|first3=Barbara A.|author-link3=Barbara A. Ambrose|last4=Vázquez-Santana|first4=Sonia|last5=Martínez-Mena|first5=Alejandro|last6=Márquez-Guzmán|first6=Judith|last7=Martínez|first7=Esteban|last8=Meyerowitz|first8=Elliot M.|last9=Alvarez-Buylla|first9=Elena R.|year=2003|title=Inside-Out Flowers Characteristic of Lacandonia schismatica Evolved at Least before Its Divergence from a Closely Related Taxon, Triuris brevistylis|journal=International Journal of Plant Sciences|volume=164|issue=3|pages=345–357|doi=10.1086/368235|bibcode=2003IJPlS.164..345V |issn=1058-5893}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1= Davidse | first1= Gerrit | last2= Martinez | first2= Esteban | date= December 1990 | title= Chromosome Number of Lacandonia schizmatica (Lacandoniaceae) | journal= Systematic Botany | volume= 15 | issue= 4 | page= 635 | doi= 10.2307/2419159 | jstor= 2419159 | bibcode= 1990SysBo..15..635D }}</ref> The pollen grain never leaves the anther, but sends the pollen tube backwards through the length of the stamen, across the receptacle and then into the pistil from below.<ref>{{ cite journal | last= Mestel | first= Rosie | date= January 1995 | title= Is that a Pistil in Your Pocket? | journal= Discover | volume= 16 | issue= 1 | page= 88-89 }}</ref>{{Verify source|date=March 2025}} The only thing distantly like this is among the Slime Lilies ([[Albuca]] spp) where the [[pollen tube]] passes through the tepals.

'''''Lacandonia schismatica''''' is a species of plant in the [[Triuridaceae]] family which has a symbiotic relationship with fungi, known as [[myco-heterotrophy]]. It is [[endemic]] to [[Lacandon Jungle]] in the State of [[Chiapas]] in southern [[Mexico]].<ref>[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=310022 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref> It is known from very few populations and is considered endangered by the researchers who investigate this species.<ref>Davidse, G. & al. (eds.) (1994). Flora Mesoamericana 6: 1-543. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.</ref> It, and its recently discovered relation ''[[Lacandonia braziliana]]'', are the only known flowering plants which in its natural population has a spatial inversion of the reproductive floral whorls (ie stamens and carpels): the two to four stamens are positioned centrally within the flower, and the 60 to 80 carpels arranged in a ring around them.<ref name="Vergara‐SilvaEspinosa‐Matías2003">{{cite journal|last1=Vergara-Silva|first1=Francisco|last2=Espinosa-Matías|first2=Silvia|last3=Ambrose|first3=Barbara A.|author-link3=Barbara A. Ambrose|last4=Vázquez-Santana|first4=Sonia|last5=Martínez-Mena|first5=Alejandro|last6=Márquez-Guzmán|first6=Judith|last7=Martínez|first7=Esteban|last8=Meyerowitz|first8=Elliot M.|last9=Alvarez-Buylla|first9=Elena R.|year=2003|title=Inside-Out Flowers Characteristic of Lacandonia schismatica Evolved at Least before Its Divergence from a Closely Related Taxon, Triuris brevistylis|journal=International Journal of Plant Sciences|volume=164|issue=3|pages=345–357|doi=10.1086/368235|bibcode=2003IJPlS.164..345V |issn=1058-5893}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1= Davidse | first1= Gerrit | last2= Martinez | first2= Esteban | date= December 1990 | title= Chromosome Number of Lacandonia schizmatica (Lacandoniaceae) | journal= Systematic Botany | volume= 15 | issue= 4 | page= 635 | doi= 10.2307/2419159 | jstor= 2419159 | bibcode= 1990SysBo..15..635D }}</ref> The pollen grain never leaves the anther, but sends the pollen tube backwards through the length of the stamen, across the receptacle and then into the pistil from below.<ref>{{ cite journal | last= Mestel | first= Rosie | date= January 1995 | title= Is that a Pistil in Your Pocket? | journal= Discover | volume= 16 | issue= 1 | page= 88-89 }}</ref>{{Verify source|date=March 2025}} The only thing distantly like this is among the species of ''[[Albuca]]'', where the [[pollen tube]] passes through the tepals.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

''Lacandonia schismatica'' is known from several small populations at altitudes around {{convert|200|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} 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.<ref name="Marquez-Guzman 1993">Márquez-Guzmán, J., Vázquez-Santana, S., Engleman, E. M., Martínez-Mena, A., and Martínez, E. (1993). Pollen development and fertilization in ''Lacandonia schismatica'' (Lacandoniaceae). ''[[Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden]]'', 80(4): 891-897.</ref><ref name="Davidse and Martinez 1990">Davidse, G. and Martínez, E. (1990). The chromosome number of ''Lacandonia schismatica'' (Lacandoniaceae). ''Systematic Botany'', 15(4): 635-637.</ref><ref name="Vergara-Silva 2003">Francisco Vergara-Silva, Silvia Espinosa-Matías, Barbara A. Ambrose, Sonia Vázquez-Santana, Alejandro Martínez-Mena, Judith Márquez-Guzmán, Esteban Martínez, Elliot M. Meyerowitz, and Elena R. Alvarez-Buylla. (2003). Inside-out flowers characteristic of ''Lacandonia schismatica'' evolved at least before its divergence from a closely related taxon, ''Triuris brevistylis''. ''International Journal of Plant Sciences'', 164(3): 345-357.</ref>

''Lacandonia schismatica'' is known from several small populations at altitudes around {{convert|200|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} 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.<ref name="Marquez-Guzman 1993">Márquez-Guzmán, J., Vázquez-Santana, S., Engleman, E. M., Martínez-Mena, A., and Martínez, E. (1993). Pollen development and fertilization in ''Lacandonia schismatica'' (Lacandoniaceae). ''[[Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden]]'', 80(4): 891-897.</ref><ref name="Davidse and Martinez 1990">Davidse, G. and Martínez, E. (1990). The chromosome number of ''Lacandonia schismatica'' (Lacandoniaceae). ''Systematic Botany'', 15(4): 635-637.</ref><ref name="Vergara-Silva 2003">Francisco Vergara-Silva, Silvia Espinosa-Matías, Barbara A. Ambrose, Sonia Vázquez-Santana, Alejandro Martínez-Mena, Judith Márquez-Guzmán, Esteban Martínez, Elliot M. Meyerowitz, and Elena R. Alvarez-Buylla. (2003). Inside-out flowers characteristic of ''Lacandonia schismatica'' evolved at least before its divergence from a closely related taxon, ''Triuris brevistylis''. ''International Journal of Plant Sciences'', 164(3): 345-357.</ref>