Thermogenic plants

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Thermogenic plants have the ability to raise their temperature above that of the surrounding air. Heat is generated in the mitochondria, as a secondary process of cellular respiration called thermogenesis. Alternative oxidase and uncoupling proteins similar to those found in mammals enable the process, which is still poorly understood.

[edit] The role of thermogenesis

Thermogenesis in plants can serve a variety of purposes, including:

• allowing a species to grow in a climate where it would not otherwise be found, or at a time of year in which it would normally be dormant. Plants which raise the ambient temperature by a significant amount may even be found growing through patches of snow.
• attracting pollinators by volatilizing scents and spreading them through the air, or by providing a habitat for insects in a cold climate. Insects attracted by the heat or scent of a thermogenic plant are encouraged to spread its pollen, aiding in reproduction.

[edit] Examples of thermogenic plants

Thermogenic plants are found in a variety of families. Examples include the eastern skunk cabbage, the dead-horse arum, the elephant yam, a Philodendron known as elephant ear, and certain water lilies.