Africa Wild

Cape Caterpillarbean Zornia capensis capensis
Order Fabales. Family Fabaceae. Subfamily Faboideae. Tribe Dalbergieae

Nelspruit © Richprins


Description
Herbaceous perennial with long tap-root, shoots mostly prostrate, wiry.
Leaflets four, up to 2,5 cm long X 6 mm wide, but variable, often dotted with clear spots.
Flowers solitary, enclosed between green bracts 8 mm long x 5 mm wide; calyx up to 4,5 mm long; corolla yellow to orange marked with reddish, standard up to 1 cm long, all petals stalked; stamens joined, anthers unequal; ovary stalkless. The large lower petal has delicate red lines which may act to guide bees to the pollen. This plant flowers for much of the year.
Fruit flattened, one edge straight, other wavy, breaking into one-seeded smooth or somewhat spiny portions.

Distribution
Widespread in Southern Africa. Provincial distribution in South Africa: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West.

Habitat
Grassland, often between rocks.

Bright Indigo Indigofera sanguinea
Order Fabales. Family Fabaceae. Subfamily Faboideae

Nelspruit hillside, December 2020 © Richprins

Description
Perennial with trailing sinuous stems thinly covered with soft hairs, many gland-tipped. It grows up to 250 mm high. Leaves well-spaced, usually with only one leaflet on very short stalk; occasionally a pair of smaller lateral leaflets may be present. Leaflet broadly oval, slightly heart-shaped at base, veins prominent on lower side; upper side thinly hairy, lower hairless; up to 6 cm long X 4,5 cm wide. The erect inflorescence carries pink flowers which may be seen right into summer. Flowers axillary, solitary or few together. Calyx c 6 cm long, very glandular-hairy. Corolla 1,5 cm long, usually hi-coloured, often with standard orange and wings red, sometimes crimson and pink, sometimes red and yellow. Pod small hairy oval, flattened, c 1 cm long X 7 mm wide, one- or two-seeded.

Distribution
South African endemic: Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga.

Habitat
It grows in grassland and on rocky outcrops.


Indigofera flowers have evolved a fascinating, explosive pollen-presentation mechanism. In the newly opened flower the stamen tube is held under tension between the keel petals by projections on their upper edges. The pressure exerted by a visiting bee dislodges these projections, releasing the stamen tube and style, which spring up, forcefully striking the underside of the visitor. Once 'exploded', the spent flower hangs limply open.