Cheiridopsis pilosula
| Cheiridopsis pilosula | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Aizoaceae |
| Genus: | Cheiridopsis |
| Species: | C. pilosula
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cheiridopsis pilosula L.Bolus
| |
Cheiridopsis pilosula is a species of succulent plant from Namaqualand in the Northern Cape of South Africa.
Description
[edit]This succulent subshrub becomes raggedly clumped and lank with age. It grows up to 15 cm (5.9 in) tall, with a diameter of 25 cm (9.8 in).[1] The pale blue-grey leaves are slender and densely covered in hairs.[1][2] They do not have teeth and are prominently keeled.[1]
Flowers are preset in August and September. They are yellow in colour and are borne solitarily.[3] While some populations have unicoloured petaloid staminodes, other populations have bi-coloured staminodes, in which the bottom third is white and the remaining two-thirds are yellow.[2] The fruits are 10-locular and cylindrical below.[3] They are covered in papillae, giving them a rough or velvety texture.[2] The seeds are also covered in papilae.[2]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Cheiridopsis pilosula is endemic to the Northern Cape of South Africa, where it grows on quartzite flats and slopes.[3][4] It grows in the Richtersveld region, where it grows on the Stinkfontein Mountains and Klipbok.[3]
Conservation
[edit]This species is considered to be of least concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c e-Flora of South Africa. v1.36. 2022. South African National Biodiversity Institute. http://ipt.sanbi.org.za/iptsanbi/resource?r=flora_descriptions&v=1.36
- ^ a b c d Klak, C.; Helme, N. A.; Bruyns, P. V. (2015-01-01). "Cheiridopsis alba-oculata (Aizoaceae: Ruschioideae, Ruschieae) — A new quartz-endemic from southern Namaqualand, South Africa". South African Journal of Botany. 96: 1–5. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2014.11.001. ISSN 0254-6299.
- ^ a b c d Snijman, D.A. (2013). Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Regionn, Vol. 2: the Extra Cape flora (PDF). Strelitzia. John Manning, Peter Goldblatt. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute. ISBN 978-1-919976-74-7. OCLC 866860203.
- ^ a b Burgoyne, P.M. 2006. Cheiridopsis pilosula L.Bolus. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 6 February 2023