Otholobium accrescens

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Otholobium accrescens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Otholobium
Species:
O. accrescens
Binomial name
Otholobium accrescens

Otholobium accrescens is an upright, largely herbaceous subshrub assigned to the

Loerie. It probably flowers August to January.[1][2]

Taxonomy

Specimens of the species have been collected since 1947. Charles Stirton and A. Muthama Muasya considered it sufficiently different from its relatives, described it in 2017, and called it Otholobium accrescens. The name of the genus Otholobium is a combination of the Greek words ὠθέω (ōthéō) meaning to push and λοβός (lobos) meaning pod, which Stirton selected because its fruit seems to be pushed out of the calyx.[3] The species name accrēscēns is Latin, means growing or increasing, and refers to the characteristic that the calyx continues to grow after flowering.[2]

Description

Otholobium accrescens is a small, upright, largely herbaceous

petiolule of about 1 mm (0.039 in) long that can be shed separately. It in turn carries the single leaflet that can also be shed separately. The first leaflets to appear are smaller than those higher up the stem. The hairless leaflets are broadly elliptic to broadly inverted egg-shaped, 2.5–4 cm (0.98–1.57 in) long and 1.5–2.5 cm (0.59–0.98 in) wide, with a wedge-shaped base, a round top, but the central veins is very slightly elongated, sharp, hook-shaped. The leaflet has a smooth margin, and veins clearly visible on both surfaces. Dried leaflets are densely set with black dot-like glands, more so on the upper surface.[2]

The open

androecium is a 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long pistil, including at its base the ovary of about 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long that is adorned with adpressed black hairs and many glands. At the tip the ovary extends into a forward sloping style that is thickened at the place where it curves upwards about 2–3 mm from its end. The pistil it topped by a small stigma. The pistil later develops into the densely glandular, 8 mm (0.31 in) and 6.5 mm (0.26 in) thick pod. The single seed is about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) wide, dark brown in colour, with the area where it was attached, the hilum, protruding.[2]

Differences with related species

Otholobium accrescens differs from O. caffrum and O. fumeum, which are shrubs of up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) high (not a plant of 10 to 60 cm, only woody at the base), with clover-like leaves consisting of 3 flat leaflets (not with only one leaflet), and sepals shorter than the petals (not equally long sepals and petals).[2]

Conservation, distribution and ecology

Otholobium accrescens is known from only two locations. Nonetheless, it is considered a near-threatened species that is likely more common because it is easily overlooked and is probably only noticed in the months after a fire.[4] It occurs near the Groendal and Otterford Forest Reserves, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Specimens of this species may live for over 50 years and the plants resproute from the underground rootstock after fire has destroyed the biomass above the ground. It grows in a vegetation type called mountain fynbos at an elevation of 550–650 m (1,800–2,130 ft). Flowers may be found from August to January. It produces few seeds and probably primarily propagates through its rootstocks.[2]

References

  1. doi:10.1016/S0254-6299(16)31592-7. INIST 1198639
  2. ^
    S2CID 4311078
    .
  3. ^ "Otholobium virgatum". Casabio.
  4. ^ "Otholobium accrescens C.H.Stirt". Red List of South African Plants. SANBI.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Otholobium_accrescens&oldid=1194805696"