Brunia compacta A.V.Hall

Species

Angiosperms > Bruniales > Bruniaceae > Brunia

Characteristics

Shrubs spreading, up to 0.5 m high, branched at base. Lignotubers unknown but can produce fast-growing coppice shoots. Distal branching dense, lateral branches close to main axis, somewhat clustered at nodal zones with fewer branches in between. Young stems usually hidden by leaves, lacking decurrent ridges, tomentose distally, with older shoots pale brown when dried; old leafless stems dark grey-brown, smooth, with scattered leaf scars; stipules absent. Leaves lanceolate, 2.7-3.2 mm long, up to 4.8 mm in fast-growing coppice shoots, acute, sessile, appearing abruptly from stem, lamina from side basally appressed to stem then gradually curving slightly away, increasingly so throughout its length; adaxial surface slightly concave and basally keeled, abaxial surface smoothly rounded, abaxially villous, adaxially less so, older leaves glabrescent, in coppice shoots more densely villous; stomata only on adaxial surface. Bud leaf colleter as a brown, erect papilla 0.2 mm long, soon broadening slightly and darkening to form a black deltoid apiculus shrinking to a minute patch in older leaves. Inflorescence with 6-10 flowers in terminal, dense clusters, 3-4 mm wide, main axis not continuing growth during anthesis, further branching sympodial with one new dominant shoot, old inflorescence peduncles persistent as bracteate, villous structures among older branches. Bract subtending each flower closely appressed. ovate, 0.6-0.8 mm long, midrib not visible, densely villous, with a black apiculus; bracteoles 2, oblanceolate, navicular, black-tipped, densely villous. Floral receptacle 0.6-0.8 mm long, with transition to calyx lacking a constriction. Calyx tube vestigial, segments narrowly deltoid, ± 1.1 mm long, acuminate, separated by a broadly obtuse gap, abaxially villous, densely ciliate, lacking a midrib, hyaline with minute dark apiculus. Corolla white, petals free from stamens, elliptic, 0.6-1.2 mm long, erect to spreading, abaxially villous, adaxial surface with a thick cushion-like swelling lying against top of ovary. Stamens ± 0.8 mm long, distally incurved; anthers 0.2 mm long, lobes parted and slightly divergent below; pollen (4)5-colporate. Ovary haIf-inferior, ± 0.7 mm long, top villous with single nectarostomata; locules 2, wall between complete at anthesis, each bearing a pendulous ovule on one of two placentas in each loculus; styles 0.9-1.3 mm long, slightly adnate, distally curved to point terminal stigmas into a lateral position. Fruit with enlarged receptacle and shrivelled flower parts attached; seed ovoid, 1.3 x 0.8 mm, brown, transversely wrinkled, lacking an elaiosome.
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Shrub to 50 cm tall. Leaves lanceolate, villous. Flower heads with 6-10 flowers, 3-4 mm wide, flowers white villous.
Life form -
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
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Mature height (meter) 0.5
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Environment

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Soil texture 7-8
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Usage

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Edible -
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Cultivation

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Distribution

Brunia compacta world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77109059-1
WFO ID wfo-0000748795
COL ID NFTF
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Brunia compacta