Myrothamnus flabellifolia Welw.

Species

Angiosperms > Gunnerales > Myrothamnaceae > Myrothamnus

Characteristics

Prostrate, ascending or erect shrub, 20–120(–300) cm. tall, much branched; young branches tetragonous, narrowly winged, soon becoming woody and subspinulose, older branches with bark fissuring longitudinally.. Leaves decussate on long branches, ± congested on short lateral branches, ± rhombic, (4–)8–12(–21.5) mm. long, (3–)5–9(–16) mm. wide, apex (3–)5–7(–11)-crenate-dentate, base cuneate, entire, digitately nerved (sometimes bifurcate near apex), plicate; petiole (1–)2–3(–4) mm. long, subvaginate, persistent; stipules subulate, connate with petiole at base and exceeding it by 1–3 mm.. Inflorescences (1–)2–3(–5) cm. long, terminal on short lateral branches; ♀ inflorescences stouter than ♂; bracts persistent, ovate, 1.2–1.9 mm. long, 0.7–1.7 mm. wide, obtuse.. ♂ flowers reduced to 3–6(?–8) stamens; filaments filiform, connate into a central column; anthers oblong to obovate, ± 1.5 mm. long, reddish; connective prolonged into a ± curved beak 0.4 mm. long.. ♀ flowers reduced to (2–)3(–4) carpels, 2.5–3 mm. long, ± 1.2 mm. wide, green, connate at base, tapering to outwardly curved styles; stigmas purple, oblong, facing inwards.. Capsule (2.5–)3–4 mm. long, ± 1.5 mm. wide, coriaceous; carpels slightly enlarged, 12–22-seeded; styles and stigmas persistent.. Seeds ovoid to tetragonal, 0.5–1 mm. long.. Fig. 1.
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Leaf-laminae (8)10–14(20) x (3)6–8(15) mm., d: rhombic, the apex (3)5–7(ll)-crenate-dentate, the base entire and cuneate, digitately nerved (nerves sometimes 2-furcate near the apex), closely longitudinally pleated when dry, articulated with the petiole; petiole (1)2–3(5) mm. long, subvaginate; stipules subulate, connate with the petiole at the base and exceeding it by 1–3 mm.
A prostrate, ascending or erect shrub, much branched, usually 30–90 cm. tall (stated to grow up to 2m.); young branches tetragonous, the angles narrowly winged; branches soon becoming woody and subspinulose with the persistent stipules and petioles; older branches with bark fissuring longitudinally.
Inflorescences usually 2–3 cm. long, rarely up to 5 cm., terminal on the lateral short branches; each flower sessile in the axil of a single, elliptic to ovate, usually obtuse bract 1·2–1·8 x c. 1·0 mm.; bracts persistent after flower-and fruit-fall; female inflorescences stouter than the male.
Male flowers reduced to (3)5–6(?8) stamens; filaments filiform and connate at the base into a central column; anthers oblong, reddish, after dehiscence presenting an asymmetric X-shaped cross-section; connective prolonged into a short, ± curved beak.
Woody dwarf shrub, up to 0.6 m high, dioecious. Leaves opposite, sessile, cuneate, flabelliform (fan-shaped) but plaited when dried out, 6 or 7 crenate on subtruncate apex. Flowers: clustered in terminal spikes; green to deep pink; Nov.-May.
Woody shrublet, up to 0.6 m high. Leaves opposite, sessile, cuneate, flabelliform (fan-shaped) but plaited when dried out, 6-or 7-crenate on subtruncate apex. Flowers green to deep pink.
Female flowers zygomorphic, reduced to (2)3 green carpels connate only at the base and tapering into ± short, outwardly curved styles presenting purple, oblong, inwardly facing stigmas.
Capsule coriaceous with carpels somewhat enlarged, deeply (2-)3-lobed, crowned by the persistent styles and stigmas.
Leaves decussately disposed along fast-growing long branches or ± congested on lateral short branches.
Seeds c. 0·5 mm. long., ovoid to tetragonal.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 0.9
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 5-9
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses animal food food food additive gene source material medicinal social use
Edible flowers leaves stems
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Myrothamnus flabellifolia world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:430734-1
WFO ID wfo-0000447606
COL ID -
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Myrothamnus flabellifolia Cliffortia flabellifolia