TRIGGERPLANTS (STYLIDIUM; STYLIDIACEAE): A NEW FLORAL AND HORTICULTURAL CROP WITH PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF HARDINESS

Triggerplants (Stylidium spp.; Stylidiaceae) present an outstanding opportunity for the development of a new floricultural and horticultural crop. Most being native to Australia, triggerplants have been known to Western science for over two centuries, yet they have not been used extensively in horticulture, even in Australia. A wide variety of species have been identified--over 200--from the tropics to alpine regions, from tiny ephemerals to the 1.5 m perennial Tree Triggerplant, S. laricifolium. Many triggerplants present a number of horticulturally-valuable traits, including spikes of brightly colored flowers, the ability to grow on toxic and/or nutrient-poor soils, significant drought tolerance, and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures. In addition, two other points of interest for promoting sales include their unusual, active, hammer-like mechanism of pollination and their possible carnivory. Preliminary hardiness testing in Maryland, USA shows that species from a variety of locations in Australia can be grown without damage, followed by attractive spring and summer flowers.

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