Ep. 391 - A Non-Model, Model Plant Group
In Defense of Plants Podcast
In Defense of Plants
4.8 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 16 October 2022
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today we are focusing on a strange genus of plants in the family Euphorbiaceae. The Dalechampia can be found growing in tropical forests throughout much of the world. We revisit a 2018 discussion I had with Dr. Scott Armbruster, who has spent his entire academic career using Dalechampia as what he likes to call "a non-mode, model system" for studying the evolutionary ecology of pollinator syndromes. Dalechampia are largely pollinated by resin- and fragrance-collecting bees. Join us for a fascinating dive into this wonderfully weird genus. This episode was produced in part by Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin, Keena, Robin, Peter, Whitney, Kenned, Margaret, Daniel, Karen, David, Earl, Jocelyn, Gary, Krysta, Elizabeth, Southern California Carnivorous Plant Enthusiasts, Pattypollinators, Peter, Judson, Ella, Alex, Dan, Pamela, Peter, Andrea, Nathan, Karyn, Michelle, Jillian, Chellie, Linda, Laura, Miz Holly, Christie, Carlos, Paleo Fern, Levi, Sylvia, Lanny, Ben, Lily, Craig, Sarah, Lor, Monika, Brandon, Jeremy, Suzanne, Kristina, Christine, Silas, Michael, Aristia, Felicidad, Lauren, Danielle, Allie, Jeffrey, Amanda, Tommy, Marcel, C Leigh, Karma, Shelby, Christopher, Alvin, Arek, Chellie, Dani, Paul, Dani, Tara, Elly, Colleen, Natalie, Nathan, Ario, Laura, Cari, Margaret, Mary, Connor, Nathan, Jan, Jerome, Brian, Azomonas, Ellie, University Greens, Joseph, Melody, Patricia, Matthew, Garrett, John, Ashley, Cathrine, Melvin, OrangeJulian, Porter, Jules, Griff, Joan, Megan, Marabeth, Les, Ali, Southside Plants, Keiko, Robert, Bryce, Wilma, Amanda, Helen, Mikey, Michelle, German, Joerg, Cathy, Tate, Steve, Kae, Carole, Mr. Keith Santner, Lynn, Aaron, Sara, Kenned, Brett, Jocelyn, Ethan, Sheryl, Runaway Goldfish, Ryan, Chris, Alana, Rachel, Joanna, Lori, Paul, Griff, Matthew, Bobby, Vaibhav, Steven, Joseph, Brandon, Liam, Hall, Jared, Brandon, Christina, Carly, Kazys, Stephen, Katherine, Mohsin Kazmi Takes Pictures, Manny, doeg, Daniel, Tim, Philip, Tim, Lisa, Brodie, Bendix, Irene, holly, Sara, and Margie.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello everyone and welcome to the Indefensive Plants podcast, the official podcast of |
| 0:04.4 | Indefensiveplants.com. |
| 0:05.8 | What's up? This is your host, Matt. Welcome to the show. How is everyone doing this week? |
| 0:10.1 | Today, we're revisiting an episode I had back in 2018 in the forests of Costa Rica. |
| 0:15.1 | I spoke with Dr. Scott Armbruster, who's studying a genus of plants that produces some of the |
| 0:20.1 | most bizarre yet beautiful inflorescences I've ever seen. We are talking about the genus Del Champia, or Del Campia, tomato potato at this point, but they're members of the Spurge family, Euphorbiac, and you can find them in many tropical forests throughout the world. For as weird and obscure as this genus can seem to most of us, even those botanically |
| 0:39.0 | inclined, they have a lot to teach us about evolution, pollination, and so much more. That's why |
| 0:44.6 | Dr. Armbrister has spent his entire career trying to develop them as what he calls a non-model model |
| 0:50.3 | system. This is a really fun conversation, and I'm so happy to bring it back to you today. |
| 0:55.4 | But before we get to it, I just want to say if you're enjoying this podcast and you want it to |
| 0:58.9 | continue, consider supporting the show over at patreon.com slash indefensible plants because I could not be |
| 1:05.0 | doing it without all of the wonderful help of my patrons each and every month. The show wouldn't |
| 1:09.2 | exist without them. So consider becoming a patron today. |
| 1:12.2 | But on with the show. |
| 1:13.5 | Without further ado, |
| 1:14.6 | here is my revisited conversation |
| 1:16.1 | with Dr. Scott Armbruster. |
| 1:17.8 | I hope you enjoy. |
| 1:34.3 | Thank you. How about we start with an intro? Tell us a little about who you are and what it is you do. |
| 1:37.3 | Well, I'm currently a professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Portsmouth in the south of the UK. |
| 1:45.0 | But I live on the Isle-O-White so I commute by ferry. |
| 1:48.0 | And I grew up in California, got my PhD at UC Davis, took a job in Alaska for about 15 years, |
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