Red+Jade+Vine+-+Mucuna+bennettii


 * Group members:** Orr Cohen, Ellie Denton, Aarany Kunasingham, Aaron Wong, Angela Zhang

**Plant family:** Fabaceae **Common name**: Red jade vine, Flame vine, New Guinea creeper **Distribution**: New Guinea (native), Singapore (introduced) Tropical rainforests but also flouishes in tropical/semi-tropical regions as well Needs deep, rich soil and ample water **Habit:** Very large, woody climbing vine **Inflorescence:** 3' to 4' raceme **Flowers:** Scarlet red, fleshy, downward hanging, pea shaped flowers
 * Species name:** //Mucuna bennettii//
 * Fruits:** Usually clothed with stinging hairs, 2-valved, septate or filled between the seeds

Mucuna bennettii, in blossom in Northern Thailand, Photo: Eric Danell

=__ Floral Morphology __=



Large and bright petal colour attracts pollinators while production of nectar inside the flower provides a food reward. Floral nectary (located at the base of the perianth) causes the pollinator brushes against the flower's reproductive structures (anthers and pistil) while accessing nectar. This allows the transport of male gametes contained within the pollen grain to the female ovules, resulting in successful fertilisation and the production of seeds within fruit.

Pollinator animal: most likely birds with the reasons being: - flower is quite robust and sturdy to hold the weight and disturbance of the rummaging of a bird's beak - distance between anthers and stigma is quite large; insect would be unable to brush against both - shape of flower - quite tubular and deep - would accomodate the long beak of a bird

Dissection showing (9+1) stamens, 1 pistil of similar length, ovary at base of perianth


 * Flower number || Shape || Colour || Length (mm) || Filament length (mm) || Nectar Volume (uL) || Sugar concentration (Brix %) ||
 * 1 || pea || red || 44.6 || 36.25 || 12.6 || 24.1 ||
 * 2 || pea || red || 30.75 || 28.20 || 20.2 || 22.6 ||
 * 3 || pea || red || 45.45 || 47.65 || 15.4 || 23.3 ||
 * **Average** ||  ||   || **40.27** || **37.37** || **16.1** || **23.3** ||
 * SD ||  ||   || 9.772964 || 8.252626 || 3.843609 || 0.750555 ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||

__**Pollen morphology**__

Pollen under compound light microscope x40 objective