Plant ID

[mort]

I bought a little pink syngonium to try yesterday. Well it would have be rude not to at £1.99

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

The Asplenium on another hand is going through some sort of a shock. It's leaves are turning purple...Not sure what's that about yet...

It could be a light issue, where the plant is producing anthocyanins to limit the damage that the higher light levels are doing to the photosynthetic pigments. From "A phylogenetic examination of the primary anthocyanin production pathway of the Plantae"

These pigments can diminish photo-oxidative injury in leaves, both by protecting chloroplasts from excess high-energy quanta and by scavenging reactive oxygen species. Anthocyanins defend plants against ultraviolet radiation damage by absorbing in the 280–320 nm wavelengths......

cheers Darrel

 

[zozo]

Hi all, It could be a light issue, where the plant is producing anthocyanins to limit the damage that the higher light levels are doing to the photosynthetic pigments. From "A phylogenetic examination of the primary anthocyanin production pathway of the Plantae"

cheers Darrel

That's interesting.. Didn't know that.. Thanks... 🙂 I thought i had a P shortage in some plants because some leaves showed purple coloration.. But thus it also can be caused by a sudden blue sky with loads of direct sun on the plant after a relative long cloudy periode in early summer?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I thought i had a P shortage in some plants because some leaves showed purple coloration.. But thus it also can be caused by a sudden blue sky with loads of direct sun on the plant after a relative long cloudy periode in early summer?

Yes, this is phosphorus deficiency in Zea mays (<By عمرو بن كلثوم - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20434272>)


It effects the older leaves (P is mobile within the plant).

In a "copper" Beech (Fagus sylvatica "Purpurea") you get a similar colour in all the leaves, all of the time, from the <"unusually high levels of anthocyanin pigments">.



In many plants it is the delicate new growth that contains the anthocyanins, this is the fern <"Dryopteris erythrosora">.



But you also get <"Light-induced vegetative anthocyanin pigmentation">, as a response to higher light levels. I assume that is what is happening here:



cheers Darrel

 

[zozo]

In many plants it is the delicate new growth that contains the anthocyanins, this is the fern <"Dryopteris erythrosora">.

Yes i've seen that plant before in nursery webshops, advertising this fern with this typical coloration propperty. Didn't come to my mind till you mentioned it.
Now thinking of it some years ago i bougth the Microsorum pteropus var. Orange, it was a huge mature fern and it indeed had bright orange leaftips,, i placed it low light low tech and all of it died and i never got anything Orange back, i wonder if i still have it i guess in low light it just turns back into regular java fern. It did for me.. There should be a terrestrial Red java fern var. also.. Seen it in pictures..

also reminds me (Last picture) of the lately gaining popularity purple or red Ocimum basilicum var. i once grew them from seed, starting green and only color dark red or purple if placed in the full sun, rather hot as well.. On a east side window it stays green as normal basil does.

 

[sciencefiction]

It could be a light issue, where the plant is producing anthocyanins to limit the damage that the higher light levels are doing to the photosynthetic pigments.

Thanks Darrel. Yes, it's possible. We've had some really nice weather since I put the plant there and it gets daily sunshine plus about 100W of LEDs aimed at its direction for probably. I had a look and almost all leaves have turned red. I am curious to see how it goes. There's a sign of tiny growth trying to make it but not sure yet it will as there's water in the crown.

 

[sciencefiction]

I am going to take a picture tomorrow but its funny that those two new leaves have grown further and risen above all others that were previously grown in a pot. They are sort of sticking out of the bunch...like out-competing its old siblings.

On a side note the Asplenium is slowly growing some new leaves although its older leaves still have the red hue. It's been very warm and sunny for about the last 2 weeks.

 

[mort]

It could be that it's starting to vine. They are natural climbers.

 

[sciencefiction]

Some pics of the progress. I think its pretty much ok at the moment but you never know in time...

It's very hard showing it unless you see them every day..

The Aspplenium below despite the pink tint of the old leaves is growing, One of the new leaves is out of focus, almost as big as the rest but you can see the new growth. I was worried because it's base is pretty much covered under water for most of the week but the water evaporates for a couple of days before the water change


The arrow head one is going great guns, really loving it. It may be a creeper but it still hasn't shown it yet. The new leaves are bigger than the old ones. I am guessing plenty of nitrogen right now...



And I got a Maidenhair Fern at the same time which is threatening to take over all the rest. It's creeping up over the net...



And an extra picture showing the redder old leaves of the Asplenium. Maybe the old ones can't adapt but the new ones will,...or I hope so.