What is cordate telosma like?
I. Leaves
The leaves of cordate telosma are membranous, oval or broadly oval in shape, about 6.5 to 9.5 cm long and 4 to 8 cm wide. The top of the leaves is short and gradually tapering, the base is heart-shaped, the veins are slightly hairy, the petiole is 1.5 to 5 cm long, and the top will be clustered with 3 to 5 small glands.
Second, flowers
The flowers of cordate telosma are umbrella-shaped cymes, usually axillary, with more than 30 flowers. The peduncle of the inflorescence is 5 to 15 mm long, and the flowers are fragrant. The lobes of the calyx are oblong-lanceolate, and the outside is slightly hairy. The inner surface of the calyx has five small glands. The corolla is yellow-green, with a high-legged disc shape, and the corolla is cylindrical.
Why does cordate telosma bloom at night?
The temper that cordate telosma blooms at night has been passed down from generation to generation, and only at night does it give off a strong aroma. Why is this? The reason is very simple. Many plants rely on insect pollination to reproduce their offspring. Plants that pollinate by insects that move during the day, in the daytime, bloom is fragrant, welcoming the messenger.
Cordate telosma is pollinated by moths that appear at night. With its strong aroma at night, cordate telosma attracts winged "guests" to visit and deliver pollen for it. This habit of cordate telosma is an adaptation to the environment.
The petals of cordate telosma are very different from those of other daytime flowering plants. The stomata on the petals of cordate telosma have a characteristic. Once the humidity of the air is high, it will expand, and the stomata will expand, and more aromatic oil will evaporate. Although there is no sun at night, the air is much wetter than during the day, so the pores are wide and the aroma is particularly strong. Flowers of cordate telosma not only smell at night, but also on cloudy and rainy days. The reason is that the air humidity is high on rainy days.
Notes on cordate telosma
Don't put cordate telosma in the bedroom, especially at night. When the photosynthesis of cordate telosma stops at night, it will discharge a lot of waste gas, which is extremely harmful to people's health, causing dizziness, cough and even insomnia, especially for patients with hypertension and heart disease. Therefore, you should not stay in front of the cordate telosma flowers for a long time at night.