Dischidia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Gentianales

Familia: Apocynaceae
Subfamilia: Asclepiadoideae
Tribus: Marsdenieae
Genus: Dischidia
Species: D. aberrans – D. acuminata – D. acutifolia – D. albida – D. albiflora – D. alternans – D. amphorantha – D. angustifolia – D. antennifera – D. asperifolia – D. astephana – D. atropurpurea – D. australis – D. bengalensis – D. bisetulosa – D. boholensis – D. bulacanensis – D. calva – D. chinensis – D. cleistantha – D. clemensiae – D. cochleata – D. cominsii – D. complex – D. cornuta – D. crassifolia – D. crassula – D. cyclophylla – D. cylindrica – D. dasyphylla – D. deschampsii – D. digitiformis – D. dohtii – D. dolichantha – D. elmeri – D. ericiflora – D. formosana – D. fruticulosa – D. galactantha – D. gibbifera – D. griffithii – D. hahliana – D. hirsuta – D. hollrungii – D. hoyella – D. imbricata – D. immortalis – D. indragirensis – D. insularis – D. kerrii – D. khasiana – D. lanceolata – D. lancifolia – D. latifolia – D. lauterbachii – D. listerophora – D. litoralis – D. longe-pedunculata – D. longiflora – D. longifolia – D. major – D. maxima – D. melanesica – D. meleagridiflora – D. merrillii – D. micholitzii – D. micrantha – D. milnei – D. neurophylla – D. nicobarica – D. nummularia – D. obovata – D. oiantha – D. ovata – D. oxyphylla – D. parvifolia – D. peltata – D. picta – D. platyphylla – D. polilloensis – D. polyphylla – D. pseudobenghalensis – D. puberula – D. pubescens – D. punctata – D. purpurea – D. quinquangularis – D. reniformis – D. retusa – D. rhodantha – D. rimicola – D. rosea – D. roseoflavida – D. rumphii – D. ruscifolia – D. saccata – D. sagittata – D. sarasinorum – D. scortechinii – D. singaporensis – D. singularis – D. soronensis – D. spironema – D. squamulosa – D. striata – D. subulata – D. superba – D. tjidadapensis – D. tomentella – D. tonkinensis – D. tonsa – D. tonsuensis – D. torricellensis – D. tricholoba – D. trichostemma – D. truncata – D. vadosa – D. vidalii – D. wallichii
Name

Dischidia R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland.: 461. (1810)

Type species: Dischidia nummularia R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland.: 461 (1810)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Collyris Vahl, Skr. Naturhist.-Selsk. 6: 110. (1810)
Conchophyllum Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 1060. (1826)
Leptostemma Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 1057. (1826)
Spathidolepis Schltr. in K.M.Schumann & C.A.G.Lauterbach, Fl. Schutzgeb. Südsee, Nachtr.: 356. (1905)
Dolichostegia Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 13: 554. (1915)
Hoyella Ridl., J. Fed. Malay States Mus. 8(4): 62. (1917)

References

Brown, R. 1810. Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae van-Diemen 461.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2018. Dischidia in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Sept. 23. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2018. Dischidia. Published online. Accessed: Sept. 23 2018.
Tropicos.org 2018. Dischidia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Sept. 23.
Wanntorp, L. & Kunze, H. 2009. Identifying synapomorphies in the flowers of Hoya and Dischidia —Toward phylogenetic understanding. International Journal of Plant Sciences 170(3): 331-342. DOI: 10.1086/596329 Reference page.

Vernacular names
English: Button Orchids, Million Hearts

Dischidia is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae. They are epiphytes native to tropical areas of China, India and most areas of Indo-China. Dischidia are closely aligned with the sister genus Hoya. Unlike Hoya, the genus Dischidia is poorly known and has not been studied as closely. A few of the species in widespread cultivation, and can be kept as houseplants in temperate regions.

Most Dischidia grow in arboreal ant nests of different species and some have developed a symbiotic relationship where the plant has developed modified leaves to either provide housing or storage. Of these there are two types of modification to the leaves. Three species develop bullate leaves which are hollow root-filled structures. These are Dischidia complex Griff, Dischidia major (Vahl) Merr. and Dischidia vidalii Becc. Both produce normal leaves (cordate in shape) in addition to the bullate leaves. These bullate leaves are formed when the outer margins of a leaf stop growing while the center of the leaf continues to grow. As time progresses the leaf margins curl under to close the gap which creates a small hole.[2]

A number of species develop imbricate leaves which hold tightly to the growing surface. The underside of the leaf has a space which is filled with roots that the ants take advantage of. Examples of these species are Dischidia major, Dischidia astephana, Dichidia imbricata and Dischidia platyphylla, but there are many more. Plants with this type of growth habit are sometimes called Shingle Plants, which are given this name because the leaves tend to overlap as the grow up or down the surface and give the appearance of shingles on a roof.[3]
Species
D. major illustration from Pflanzenleben by Anton Kerner von Marilaun, 1913
D. bengalensis, Göttingen
D. imbricata on Millettia pinnata at Foster Botanical Garden, Honolulu
D. nummularia habitus, Berlin
D. hirsuta at Boltz Conservatory, Madison, WI

Dischidia aberrans Schltr.
Dischidia acuminata Costantin
Dischidia acutifolia Maingay
Dischidia apoensis Elmer.
Dischidia albida Griff.
Dischidia albiflora Griff.
Dischidia alternans Schltr.
Dischidia amphorantha K.Schum. & Lauterb.
Dischidia angustifolia Miq.
Dischidia antennifera Becc.
Dischidia asperifolia Schltr.
Dischidia astephana Scort. ex King & Gamble
Dischidia atropurpurea Schltr.
Dischidia australis Tsiang & P. T. Li
Dischidia balansae Costantin
Dischidia bengalensis Colebr.
Dischidia bisetulosa O.Schwartz
Dischidia boholensis (Schltr.) Livsch.
Dischidia calva Pearson
Dischidia chinensis Champ. ex Benth.
Dischidia cleistantha Livsh.
Dischidia clemensiae Schltr.
Dischidia cochleata Blume
Dischidia collyris Wall.
Dischidia cominsii Hook.
Dischidia complex Griff.
Dischidia cornuta Livsh.
Dischidia crassifolia Zipp. ex Schltr.
Dischidia crassula Schltr.
Dischidia cyclophylla Schltr.
Dischidia cylindrica W.W.Sm.
Dischidia dasyphylla Schltr.
Dischidia deschampsii King & Gamble
Dischidia digitiformis Becc.
Dischidia dolichantha Schltr.
Dischidia dohtii Tran & Livsh.
Dischidia elmeri Schltr.
Dischidia ericiflora Becc.
Dischidia formosana Maxim.
Dischidia fruticulosa Ridley
Dischidia galactantha K.Schum.
Dischidia gibbifera Schltr.
Dischidia griffithii Hook.f.
Dischidia hahliana Volkens
Dischidia hellwigii Warb.
Dischidia hirsuta Decne.
Dischidia hollrungii Warb. ex K.Schum. & Lauterb.
Dischidia hoyella Omlor
Dischidia imbricata (Blume) Decne.
Dischidia immortalis Guillaumin
Dischidia indragirensis Schltr.
Dischidia insularis Schltr.
Dischidia khasiana Hook.f.
Dischidia lanceolata (Blume) Decne.
Dischidia lancifolia Ridley
Dischidia latifolia (Blume) Decne.
Dischidia lauterbachii K.Schum.
Dischidia listerophora Schltr.
Dischidia longepedunculata Ridl.
Dischidia longiflora Becc.
Dischidia longifolia Becc.
Dischidia major (Vahl) Merr.
Dischidia maxima Koord.
Dischidia melanesica Fosberg
Dischidia meleagridiflora O.Schwartz
Dischidia merrillii Becc.
Dischidia melanesica Fosberg
Dischidia merrillii Schltr.
Dischidia micholitzii N.E.Br.
Dischidia micrantha Becc.
Dischidia milnei Hemsl.
Dischidia neurophylla Lauterb. & K.Schum.
Dischidia nicobarica Didr.
Dischidia nummularia R.Br.
Dischidia obovata Decne.
Dischidia oiantha Schltr.
Dischidia ovata Benth.
Dischidia oxyphylla Miq.
Dischidia parvifolia Ridl.
Dischidia pedunculata Warb.
Dischidia peltata Blume
Dischidia picta Blume
Dischidia platyphylla Schlecther
Dischidia polilloensis Kloppenb.
Dischidia polyphylla Ridl.
Dischidia pseudobenghalensis Costantin
Dischidia puberula Decne.
Dischidia pubescens Ridl.
Dischidia punctata (Blume) Decne.
Dischidia purpurea Merrill.
Dischidia quinquangularis Schltr.
Dischidia reniformis Schltr.
Dischidia retusa Becc.
Dischidia rhodantha Ridl.
Dischidia rimicola Kerr
Dischidia rosea Schl.
Dischidia roseoflavida Schltr.
Dischidia rumphii Miq.
Dischidia ruscifolia Decne. ex Becc.
Dischidia saccata Warb.
Dischidia sagittata Decne.
Dischidia sarasinorum Warb.
Dischidia scortechinii King & Gamble
Dischidia singaporensis Ridl.
Dischidia singularis Craib
Dischidia soronensis Becc.
Dischidia spironema Turcz.
Dischidia squamulosa Becc.
Dischidia striata Schltr.
Dischidia subulata Warb.
Dischidia superba Rintz
Dischidia tjidadapensis Bakh.f.
Dischidia tomentella Ridl.
Dischidia tonkinensis Costantin
Dischidia tonsa Schltr.
Dischidia torricellensis (Schltr.) P.I.Forst.
Dischidia tricholoba Kerr
Dischidia trichostemma Schltr.
Dischidia truncata Decne.
Dischidia vadosa Rintz
Dischidia vidalii Becc.

Species moved to other genera

Dischidia chinghungensis, syn of Hoya chinghungensis
Dischidia papuana, syn of Dischidiopsis papuana
Dischidia yunnanensis, syn of Biondia yunnanensis

Species with Nomen nudum

Dischidia diphylla Elmer

References

illustration circa 1880 from Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.) - Flora de Filipinas
S. Liede-Schumann (2006). The Genera of Asclepiadoideae, Secamonoideae and Periplocoideae (Apocynaceae): Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval Archived 2007-07-08 at the Wayback Machine Version: 21 September 2000.
Rintz, R.E. (1980). The Peninsular Malayan species of Dischidia (Asclepiadaceae). Blumea 26:81-126.