Thesium megalocarpum A.W.Hill

Species

Angiosperms > Santalales > Santalaceae > Thesium

Characteristics

Suffrutex perennis; caules lignosi, erecti, 30 cm vel plures longi, versus basin suberosi, superne sulcati, plus minusve quadrangulares, glabri, multiramosi; rami erecti, tenues, sulcati, foliosi, 10-25 cm alti. Folia circiter 1 cm longa, lineari-lanceolata, acuta, carinata, plus minusve erecta, marginibus minute serrulatis. Inflorescentia racemosa, laxa, floribus singulis stipitatis axillaribus vel breviter pedicellatis; bracteae 0.8-1 cm longae, floribus longiores, pedicellis brevissimis adnatae, lineari-lanceolatae, acutae, acute carinatae, marginibus minute serrulatis; bracteolae 2, floribus paullo breviores. Perianthium 3 mm longum, segmentis 1.25 mm longis lanceolatis subacutis cucullatis apice et ad margines barbatis. Filamenta 0.3 mm longa; antherae 0.5 mm longae. Stylus crassus, 1.5 mm longus. Fructus globoso-ovoideus, 4-4.5 mm longus, 3-3.5 mm latus, costis 10 et reticulationibus distinctis, stipite crasso 3 mm longo instructus.
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Planta fruticosa; rami (vel caules?) leviter angulati, pallide brunnei, glabri; ramuli laterales satis dense foliosi, ascendentes. Folia linearia vel lineari-acicularia, apice cartilaginea, acuta, 7-10 cm longa, subteretia vel subangularia, glabra. Flores ad ramulorum apices solitarii vel subsolitarii. Bracteae floribus longiores, lineares, foliis similes; bracteolae flores aequantes vel eis paullo longiores. Perianthium 2 mm longum, extra eglandulosum; segmenta ovato-elliptica, subacuta, 1.5 mm longa, cucullata, apice barbata. Antherae e perianthii tubo exsertae, 0.5 mm longae. Stylus 1 mm longus, ad antherarum apices attigens. Fructus ellipsoideus, basi acutus, 6 mm longus, prominenter 10-costatus, inter costas reticulatus.
Perennial herb or shrub, basal parts not seen, but stems probably tufted from a woody caudex; stems 250 mm–1 m long, up to 5–8 mm in diameter, profusely branched from the base, young parts weakly ribbed by decurrent leaves, glabrous to minutely papillose, leafy.
Leaves ascending, main ones c. 7–35 × 0.8–1.2 mm, sometimes smaller on the flowering twiglets, passing imperceptibly into bracts, linear to acicular, elliptic to round in section, apiculate, glabrous to minutely papillose all over.
Perianth possibly greenish; tube 0.8–1.4 mm long, external glands elliptic, rather obscure; lobes 1.2–1.5 × 0.6–1 mm, triangular, subacute, white-bearded from apex.
Stamens inserted at base of perianth lobes; filaments 0.3–0.5 mm long, almost or quite hidden by anthers; anthers 0.5–0.7 mm long.
Bracts 3.5–16 × 0.6–1 mm, leaf-like, adnate to very short pedicel; bracteoles 2, 2.5–7 × 0.4–1 mm.
Fruit 3–4 × 3–4 mm, light brown, strongly ribbed and reticulate, stipe 1–3 mm long, pale.
Style 0.7–1.4 mm long; stigma reaching top of perianth tube; placenta twisted.
Flowers 1–4(6) racemosely arranged at the tips of closely leafy twiglets.
Pedicels 0–1 mm long.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support parasite
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Environment

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Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

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Cultivation

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Distribution

Thesium megalocarpum world distribution map, present in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:780980-1
WFO ID wfo-0000455014
COL ID 56FJH
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Thesium megalocarpum Thesium burchellii Thesium dinteri