Montinia caryophyllacea
| Montinia caryophyllacea | ||||||||||||
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Montinia caryophyllacea |
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| Montinia | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Montinia caryophyllacea | ||||||||||||
| Thunb. |
Montinia caryophyllacea is the only species of plant in the genus Montinia in the Montiniaceae family. This species isnative tothe south and southwest of Africa .
description
Montinia caryophyllacea is a branched shrub that reaches heights of 1 to 2 m (rarely up to 4 m). The plants are hairless except for the leaf axils and the base of the midrib of the leaves . The simple leaves have entire margins, are 1.5 to 7 cm long and 1 to 2.5 cm wide (rarely even 0.5 cm). The leaf blade is linear to ovate or elliptical, the tip is blunt, the base narrows in a wedge shape to a petiole of up to 1 cm in length. The petiole spreads out at the base to form an enlarged cushion, which persists after the leaf has fallen off and becomes ivory in color.
Montinia caryophyllacea is dioeciously segregated ( dioecious ). The inflorescences are terminal or almost terminal.
The male flowers are more or less numerous in 4 to 7 cm long, erect, umbel-shaped inflorescences with awl-shaped bracts . The flower stalks are up to 1 cm long. The flower base is flat, almost circular and measures 2 to 5 mm in diameter. The calyx tube is enlarged, measures about 3 mm in diameter and ends in four (rarely three or five) triangular, very short calyx lobes. The four (rarely three or five) white petals are 3 to 5 mm long, broadly ovate with a broad, crescent-shaped base. The four (rarely three or five) stamens consist of about 1.5 mm long stamens and wide elongated, about 1.2 mm long anthers .
The female flowers stand upright, individually or in groups of two (or rarely three) flowers. The calyx lobes, petals and the flower base are similar to those of the male flowers. The calyx tube is about 7 mm long and thread-shaped. There are very short and fleshy staminodes . There are two central angled placentas , these are elliptical, indented and fused with the septum. In the fruit, this septum stands free from the fruit walls and hangs freely from the tip of the fruit. Each placenta forms up to twelve ovules in two longitudinal rows. The strong stylus is about 1 mm long and divided into two branches from about the middle. Each of these branches ends in a broad, almost kidney-shaped, 1 mm wide scar .
The elliptical, smooth capsule fruit has a length of 1.5 to 2.0 cm and a width of about 1 cm. At the top are the permanent calyx lobes, the flower base and the style. The two-sided capsules spring open from the top in a row. The seed compartments are cartilaginous. The seeds stand in two rows along the placenta and overlap like roof tiles. They are indented and including a more or less elliptical, wide, paper-like wing 10 × 8 mm in size. The wing is eyed at the point of attachment.
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 24.
Occurrence and locations
This species is distributed from South Africa via Namibia to the southwest of Angola . It grows at altitudes around 1000 m in savannahs together with Albizia anthelmintica and Combretum apiculatum .
Systematics
Montinia caryophyllacea is the only species within the genus Montinia . A synonym is Montinia acris L. f.
literature
- Eduardo J. Mendes: Montiniaceae. In: Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 4. Flora Zambesiaca Managing Committee, London 1978, ISBN 0-85592-044-0 , p. 54, ( online ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Montinia caryophyllacea at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
