Alepidea inflexa S.-l.Hutch. & Magee

Species

Angiosperms > Apiales > Apiaceae > Alepidea

Characteristics

Acaulescent, evergreen geophytes; aromatic and resinous throughout; solitary or gregarious, forming small groups. Rhizomes small, 3-6 mm in diameter. Roots thin, 1-2 mm in diameter, fibrous, without conspicuously swollen bases. Leaves simple, 5 to 13, in compact rosette, prostrate, 11-25 mm x 6-16 mm, elliptic, glabrous; apices acute; veins depressed on adaxial surface. Leaf margins regularly serrate; marginal hairs terminating teeth setaceous, 5-10 mm long, spreading; inter-dentine setae 1 or 2,, 6-16 mm long, arising from swollen bases on lamina within sinus, acutely inflexed, extending at least to midrib, often to opposite margin. Lamina bases cuneate to rounded. Petioles 5-20 mm x 3-4 mm, dorsoventrally flattened, ribbed, margins glabrous or hispidulous to minutely papillose. Synflorescence monopodial, consisting of a single primary axis, occasionally two, 40-215 mm in height, 1.5-2 mm wide at base, hollow, ribbed, hispidulous throughout; 0 to 3 lateral axes, radially alternate on primary axis; primary axis terminating in a determinate, primary umbel from apical node; secondary axes, 0 to 4, whorled at apical node around the determinate umbel, each terminating in a secondary umbel; tertiary axes, 0 to 2, opposite at nodes on secondary axes, each terminating in a tertiary umbel; this entire structure of the primary axis with its lateral axes and continuous dichasial pattern is replicated on lateral axes. Peduncular bracts leaf-like, radially alternate, imbricate, adpressed to erect, 1-24 mm x 0.5-4 mm, decreasing in size only slightly along synflorescence, lanceolate, oblong or oblanceolate, amplexicaul, auriculate, abaxial surface glabrous or minutely papillose; margins regularly serrate; marginal hairs terminating teeth setaceous, 4-11 mm long, spreading, inter-dentine hairs setaceous, 4-11 mm long, spreading, arising from swollen bases on lamina or from margins; peduncular bracts reduced at nodes, 1 to 4, opposite or whorled, often fused together at base. Umbels simple, 1 to 20; primary determinate umbel 6-12 mm in diameter, 10 to 14-flowered, ratio of perfect to functionally male flowers variable, frequency of the latter increasing from primary to tertiary umbels on both primary and lateral axes, umbels often entirely functionally male on tertiary umbels; colours of floral and immature fruit features pertaining to umbels, white or cream, often flushed with pink or purple especially following pollination. Involucral bracts 10 (rarely 12), 4-6 mm x 1-1.5 mm, fused together to form a receptacle, sub-equal to equal, 5 slightly larger, lanceolate, alternating with 5 slightly smaller, lanceolate, linear or triangular, white or cream above, green below and hispidulous to papillose near base; apices acute, setae 0.5-1 mm at apices, occasionally 1 or 2 protruding laterally from margins. Flowers small, sessile, pentamerous; sepals persistent, 5, 0.3-0.5 mm x 0.3-0.5 mm, deltoid, oblong or lanceolate; apices acute, acuminate, oblique or apiculate, abaxially rugulose; petals 5, 1-1.25 mm x 0.5 mm, oblanceolate to obovate, apices tapering, inflexed, prominent keel on inner surface, often slightly raised mid-vein and 2 lateral veins present on adaxial surface; anthers 5, filaments double the length of petals; styles 2, 0.5-0.8 mm, persistent on fruit; stylopodia cushion-like, margins lobed. Fruit homomorphic, 1-1.25 mm x 1.75-2 mm, spheroidal, ovoid or obovoid, ±isodiametric, light brown, densely papillate, occasionally glabrous along ribs; ribs obtuse, inconspicuous due to fruit vestiture; carpophores remaining attached to one of the separated mericarps at maturity.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
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Root system fibrous-root rhizome
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Environment

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Usage

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Edible -
Therapeutic use -
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Cultivation

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Distribution

Alepidea inflexa world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77164369-1
WFO ID wfo-0001420880
COL ID BP2R
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Alepidea inflexa