Acanthosicyos horridus is an unusual melon that is endemic to the Namib desert. In English it is known as Nara, butter-nuts, or butterpips;[3] in one of the Khoisan languages it is locally called ǃnaras or ǃnara ("!" is pronounced with a click, somewhat like the "tsk" when English people are tutting, tsk-tsk).[3][4][5]
It is a dioecious, leafless, phreatophyte (meaning its roots penetrate deep down to water near the water table) that is found in sandy deserts but not stony plains, in areas with access to ground water such as ephemeral rivers and paleochannels, where sand accumulating in the shelter of its stems can form hummocks up to 1000–1500 m2 in area and 4 meters in height. Its stems may rise more than a meter above the hummocks, while its system of thick taproots can extend up to 50 m downward.[4] The plant is leafless, so modified stems and spines 2–3 centimetres long serve as the photosynthetic "organs" of the plant.[5][6] The plant can survive many years without water.[4]
Ecologyedit
Its sand-binding characteristics also help nara form microclimates within the desert dunes. These microclimates provide food and shelter for a variety of vertebrates.[7] Presence of the nara plant is associated with significantly increased soil microdiversity likely due to the shade it provides and the attraction of foraging mammals which contribute to organic matter.[8]
Black-backed jackals sniff out its ripe melon fruits using their jaws to bite through their tough skins. "The chewing molars of canids make them ideal agents for endozoochorous dispersal of large seeds."[10] Such disperal is long-distence (7–15.9 km). The jackals urinate on buried fruits and later return to them; it is suggested either to mark ownership or mask their smell from rival jackals. Seeds from their droppings germinate better than those extracted directly from ripe fruit. Further, seeds from their scats may then be collected by scatter-hoardinggerbils which move them into microhabitats further dispersing them and optimising their germination. While other carnivores eat other fruits, this seems to be the first case where they might be a plant's primary dispersers.[10]
The melon fruits average 1 kg and are pale green and spiny. Within it has a sweet, aromatic, watery, yellow-orange pulp. The large edible seeds, white to cream in color, are known as butter-nuts or butterpips. These have been exported for use in baked goods.[3][4]
The fruit serves as a food source for Nama people from February to April and August to September.[5]
^ abcde"Indigenous plants of Namibia: !nara". Travel News Namibia. 2015-03-24. Archived from the original on 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
^ abc"Nara Plant, Acanthosicyos horrida, Namibia". Siyabona Africa, Kruger Park Safaris. from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
^ abCornelia Bettina Krug (2002). "Adaptations of the four-striped field mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio, Sparman 1784) to the Namib Desert" (PDF). University of Bonn.
^Klopatek; Stock (1994). "Partitioning of nutrients in Acanthosicyos horridus, a keystone endemic species in the Namib Desert". Journal of Arid Environments. 26 (3): 233–240. Bibcode:1994JArEn..26..233K. doi:10.1006/jare.1994.1026.
^Unc; Maggs-Kölling; Marais; Sherman; Doniger; Steinberger (2019). "Soil bacterial community associated with the dioecious Acanthosicyos horridus in the Namib Desert". Biology and Fertility of Soils. 55 (4): 393–403. doi:10.1007/S00374-019-01358-7. S2CID 102353767.
^Conti, E.; Viglianisi, F.M. (2005). . Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 17 (3): 261–269. doi:10.1080/08927014.2005.9522596. S2CID 85153234. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
^ abShikesho, S. D.; Midgley, J. J.; Marais, E.; Johnson, S. D. (2024). "Frugivory by carnivores: Black‐backed jackals are key dispersers of seeds of the scented !nara melon in the Namib Desert". Journal of Zoology. doi:10.1111/jzo.13153. ISSN 0952-8369.
External linksedit
Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Acanthosicyos horridus". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acanthosicyos horridus.
January 01, 1970
acanthosicyos, horridus, unusual, melon, that, endemic, namib, desert, english, known, nara, butter, nuts, butterpips, khoisan, languages, locally, called, ǃnaras, ǃnara, pronounced, with, click, somewhat, like, when, english, people, tutting, scientific, clas. Acanthosicyos horridus is an unusual melon that is endemic to the Namib desert In English it is known as Nara butter nuts or butterpips 3 in one of the Khoisan languages it is locally called ǃnaras or ǃnara is pronounced with a click somewhat like the tsk when English people are tutting tsk tsk 3 4 5 Acanthosicyos horridus Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Tracheophytes Clade Angiosperms Clade Eudicots Clade Rosids Order Cucurbitales Family Cucurbitaceae Genus Acanthosicyos Species A horridus Binomial name Acanthosicyos horridusWelw ex Benth amp Hook f 1 2 Acanthosicyos horridus A Citrullus lanatus B by Ethel Dixie c 1925 Contents 1 Description 2 Ecology 3 Uses 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDescription editIt is a dioecious leafless phreatophyte meaning its roots penetrate deep down to water near the water table that is found in sandy deserts but not stony plains in areas with access to ground water such as ephemeral rivers and paleochannels where sand accumulating in the shelter of its stems can form hummocks up to 1000 1500 m2 in area and 4 meters in height Its stems may rise more than a meter above the hummocks while its system of thick taproots can extend up to 50 m downward 4 The plant is leafless so modified stems and spines 2 3 centimetres long serve as the photosynthetic organs of the plant 5 6 The plant can survive many years without water 4 Ecology editIts sand binding characteristics also help nara form microclimates within the desert dunes These microclimates provide food and shelter for a variety of vertebrates 7 Presence of the nara plant is associated with significantly increased soil microdiversity likely due to the shade it provides and the attraction of foraging mammals which contribute to organic matter 8 Acanthosicyos horridus typically occurs in the absence of other vegetation due to the harshness of the climate 4 though Eragrostis spinosa and Stipagrostis sabulicola grasses may grow between its hummocks It is regarded as a keystone species because its melons seeds shoots and flowers are food sources for beetles gemsbok and ostrich while small rodents such as Rhabdomys pumilio Desmodillus auricularis and Thallomys nigricauda take shelter amid the spiny tangle of its stems 6 The katydid Acanthoproctus diadematus feeds on the plant moving between different bushes at night 9 Black backed jackals sniff out its ripe melon fruits using their jaws to bite through their tough skins The chewing molars of canids make them ideal agents for endozoochorous dispersal of large seeds 10 Such disperal is long distence 7 15 9 km The jackals urinate on buried fruits and later return to them it is suggested either to mark ownership or mask their smell from rival jackals Seeds from their droppings germinate better than those extracted directly from ripe fruit Further seeds from their scats may then be collected by scatter hoarding gerbils which move them into microhabitats further dispersing them and optimising their germination While other carnivores eat other fruits this seems to be the first case where they might be a plant s primary dispersers 10 Uses edit nbsp Acanthosicyos horridus fruit in Sossusvlei in Namibia The melon fruits average 1 kg and are pale green and spiny Within it has a sweet aromatic watery yellow orange pulp The large edible seeds white to cream in color are known as butter nuts or butterpips These have been exported for use in baked goods 3 4 The fruit serves as a food source for Nama people from February to April and August to September 5 See also editNabkha HummockReferences edit Acanthosicyos horridus International Plant Names Index IPNI Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Harvard University Herbaria amp Libraries Australian National Botanic Gardens Bentham G amp Hooker J D 1867 Gen Pl 1 3 824 a b c Grubben G J H amp Denton O A 2004 Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2 Vegetables PROTA Foundation Wageningen Backhuys Leiden CTA Wageningen a b c d e Indigenous plants of Namibia nara Travel News Namibia 2015 03 24 Archived from the original on 2017 11 04 Retrieved 2017 11 05 a b c Nara Plant Acanthosicyos horrida Namibia Siyabona Africa Kruger Park Safaris Archived from the original on 9 June 2011 Retrieved 2011 06 23 a b Cornelia Bettina Krug 2002 Adaptations of the four striped field mouse Rhabdomys pumilio Sparman 1784 to the Namib Desert PDF University of Bonn Klopatek Stock 1994 Partitioning of nutrients in Acanthosicyos horridus a keystone endemic species in the Namib Desert Journal of Arid Environments 26 3 233 240 Bibcode 1994JArEn 26 233K doi 10 1006 jare 1994 1026 Unc Maggs Kolling Marais Sherman Doniger Steinberger 2019 Soil bacterial community associated with the dioecious Acanthosicyos horridus in the Namib Desert Biology and Fertility of Soils 55 4 393 403 doi 10 1007 S00374 019 01358 7 S2CID 102353767 Conti E Viglianisi F M 2005 Ecology of the calling song of two Namibian armoured ground crickets Acanthoplus longipes and Acanthoproctus diadematus Orthoptera Tettigoniidae Hetrodinae Ethology Ecology amp Evolution 17 3 261 269 doi 10 1080 08927014 2005 9522596 S2CID 85153234 Archived from the original on 2011 07 22 Retrieved 2009 09 18 a b Shikesho S D Midgley J J Marais E Johnson S D 2024 Frugivory by carnivores Black backed jackals are key dispersers of seeds of the scented nara melon in the Namib Desert Journal of Zoology doi 10 1111 jzo 13153 ISSN 0952 8369 External links editPROTAbase on Acanthosicyos horridus Dressler S Schmidt M amp Zizka G 2014 Acanthosicyos horridus African plants a Photo Guide Frankfurt Main Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acanthosicyos horridus Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Acanthosicyos horridus amp oldid 1211371047, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
