Lobostemon daltonii
| Lobostemon daltonii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Boraginaceae |
| Genus: | Lobostemon |
| Species: | L. daltonii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lobostemon daltonii Buys
| |
Lobostemon daltonii, the Infanta healthbush, is a species of the forget-me-not family endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.
Description
[edit]This shrublet grows 30–100 cm (0.98–3.28 ft) tall.[1][2] It has an alternate branching pattern and the herbaceous branches are sparsely hairy. The stalkless leaves are leathery and usually sparsely (rarely very) hairy.[1][2] When sparsely hairy, the hairs are largely confined to the margins, the midvein and the tip of the leaf.[2] They are oval shaped with a narrower end at the base.[1] The sides may curve downwards (particularly in basal leaves) or upwards.[2]
Flowers are present between August and November and are borne in cymes, with the young buds arranged in two distinct rows.[1][2] They are blue with conspicuous brown hairs at the tips of the sepals when they are young.[1] The petals are dissimilar in length, with the two anterior lobes being larger than any of the other three petals.[2] The outside of the flower is hairy.[1] The stamens protrude past the petals in adult flowers.[2] The staminal scales are ridge-like.[1]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]This species is found between Potberg (De Hoop) and Cape Infanta, where it grows on limestone flats.[1] It is known from only four sites.[3] It seems to prefer the loamy soils in the transition zone between Mountain Fynbos and South and South-west Coast Renosterveld.[2]
Conservation
[edit]This species is classified as endangered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Despite its already restricted range, the population continues to decline as a result of agricultural expansion, development of holiday homes and the spread of invasive alien acacias.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Manning, John; Goldblatt, Peter (2012). Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region : 1: the core Cape flora (PDF). Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANBI. ISBN 978-1-919976-74-7. OCLC 852384288.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Buys, Matt H.; A van der Walt, J.J. (1999). "Lobostemon daltonii (Boraginaceae): a new species from the Western Cape, South Africa". South African Journal of Botany. 65 (2): 144–148. doi:10.1016/S0254-6299(15)30953-4.
- ^ a b Buys, M.H., Helme, N.A. & Raimondo, D. 2006. Lobostemon daltonii M.H.Buys. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2021/08/21