Both plants and animals possess myriad adaptations that enable them to survive and reproduce in their native habitat. Some adaptations are solutions to abiotic stressors, e.g. drought, cold temperatures, UV radiation, etc., while others were selected for protection against predation.
One example of this is camouflage — the ability for an organism to blend into its environment. Animals appear to be masters of this adaptation. Strategies they employ can be as simple as color matching and disruptive coloration, such as the stripes on a tiger’s coat. Others build on these techniques and add changes in body shape to mimic different organisms.
On the other end of the spectrum, there is active camouflage. For example, the octopus species Wunderpus photogenicus and its cousin Thaumoctopus mimicus have mastered this method. Their skin has an amazing network of dermal papillae and chromatophores, which enables them to change the shape and color of their skin in the blink of an eye. Scientists have long used animal camouflage to illustrate and study evolution.
Plants also possess this adaptation. The most obvious use of color by plants is flowers. Unlike animals, the defense application of coloration is often overlooked in plants. Alfred Russel Wallace, a contemporary of Charles Darwin, in an 1877 publication stated that, “Plants rarely need to be concealed, and obtain protection either by their spines, their hardness, their hairy covering, or their poisonous secretions.” While these are effective at deterring would be predators, camouflage still plays a role in plant defense.
Anthocyanin pigments are essential to produce the color palette required for plants to blend into their environment. This class of pigments can range from red to blue, and even black. While these colors might also help protect tissues from ultraviolet radiation, they do decrease the photosynthetic capacity of a plant. Photosynthesis operates best by using red and blue wavelengths of light.
Since energy is the currency of life, plants may use this strategy only when it is most advantageous. One instance is when individuals do not get very large. In many dense forests only dappled light penetrates to the forest floor where these smaller plants dwell. To blend in with this light regime these individuals often have mottled leaves. This provides a similar coloration to their background. Additionally, the pattern may help to disrupt the outline of the leaf. This makes it hard for herbivores (such as deer) to separate the leaf shape from the background. Additionally, many herbivores have dichromatic vision, which obscures whole sections of the visible light spectrum and yields a semi black-and-white image of the world.
This camouflage hopefully gives the plant time to grow beyond the grasp of its predators.
A stunning example of mottled foliage can be seen in select species of the genus Lanonia.
Lanonia palms range from South China into Indochina, and down to Java in Indonesia. There are about 13 species, with the highest concentration found in Vietnam. Only a handful of them display mottling throughout their lives.
One is Lanonia dasyantha, which is native to central Vietnam. This species produces spines and is a clumping palm. It can grow to a maximum of 3 feet tall. While it is not commonly found for sale, it is highly prized by palm collectors. Seeds can be purchased from reputable online vendors. This species enjoys warm, moist, shady areas with well-drained soil. This can make it suitable as a potted plant for indoor spaces, or as a small accent tree/shrub for your backyard.
Note: This group of plants has not been evaluated by the Hawaii Pacific Weed Risk Assessment. It should be noted that related species present a potential threat to natural areas.
Jesse Adams is a botanist at the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, where he works to catalogue, propagate and conserve the plant diversity found there.
