Hermannia helianthemum K.Schum.

Species

Angiosperms > Malvales > Malvaceae > Hermannia

Characteristics

Suffrutex 30-60 cm high, virgately branched, branches slender, woody at base, stellate-tomentose. Stipules subulate or conduplicate, stellate-tomentose, 1.5-5 mm long. Leaves petiolate; blade linear-elliptic to narrowly ovate-oblong, densely stellate-tomentose on both surfaces, 16-34 mm long, 4-11 mm broad, usually broadly acuminate at apex, sometimes rounded and occasionally, on same plant, dentate at broad apex, usually rounded at base, margins entire or obscurely dentate, nerves prominent beneath, 3 basal nerves of which the two lateral ones (i.e. on each side of midrib) run only to about halfway up leaf, leaves reduced to bracts in upper portion of the ultimate flowering branches; petiole 5-11 mm long. Inflorescence of 1-flowered cymes in the axils of upper, reduced leaves, appearing racemose, the only distinction between peduncle and pedicel being that the latter is more densely stellate-tomentose; peduncle about 5-7 mm long; pedicel 1.5-3.5 mm long. Calyx about 6 or 7 mm long, lobed to about middle, stellate-tomentose outside, lobes appressed pubescent within. Petals “pale” to “deep pink”, about 6-8.5 mm long and 2.5-4.5 mm broad, ± oblong-cuneate, the margin inrolled only along the short, 1.5-2.5 mm long, claw which is glabrous. Stamens with obtrullate, very thin, hyaline filaments, with a few hairs on the shoulders, 2.5-4.5 mm long, 1.25-3 mm broad in upper half; anthers about 5 mm long, ciliate. Ovary densely stellate-tomentose with longer hairs at the apex, or subglabrescent in lower portion, about 3.5 mm long, stipe 1 mm long, with anther bases cohering to form a ring around it; style filiform. Capsule shortly horned.
Life form -
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 0.6
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Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 5-6
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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

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Edible -
Therapeutic use -
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Cultivation

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Distribution

Hermannia helianthemum world distribution map, present in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:823762-1
WFO ID wfo-0001140959
COL ID 3KZH2
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Hermannia helianthemum