Africa Wild

Hermannia amabilis
Family: Sterculiaceae



© Jose01
Near to Twyfelfontein, Damaraland, Namibia

Rubescent Gnidia Gnidia rubescens
Order: Malvales. Family: Thymeleaeceae

© Lisbeth


Description
Herbaceous perennial shrublet, up to 60 cm in height, slender branches from a woody rootstock. Unbranched or sparingly branched. Stems quite glabrous, usually terminated by an inflorescence. Leaves sparse above, densely clustered towards the base, alternate, entire, narrowly oblanceolate. Inflorescensce globose, 12-18 mm in diameter, ca 20-40 flowers. Flowers at first yellow, later rubescent.

Distribution
South Africa (Limpopo, Mpumalanga); Swaziland. Soutpansberg and Venda to the Mpumalanga Lowveld, also occurring in the Lebombo Mountains in eastern Swaziland.

Habitat
Found in dry woody slopes, usually on gravelly soil.

Desert Rose Hermannia burchellii
Order: Malvales. Family: Malvaceae. Subfamily: Sterculiaceae

© nan

© nan
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape

Description
Much branched perennial shrublet with a roundish shape. Showy reddish flowers borne on slender stalks, facing down.

Distribution
South Africa (Free State, Northern Cape), Namibia, Botswana.

Meidebossie Waltheria indica
Order: Malvales. Family: Malvaceae

© Flutterby
Kruger National Park, H4-1

Description
Erect shrubby perennial, which is usually 30 cm to 1 m tall. Most parts of the plant are covered in short shiny tar-shaped and simple hairs.
Leaves are greyish green and narrowly lanceolate (egg-shaped) with irregularly toothed margins, with a pointed to round tip.
The flowers appear throughout the year and are clustered together between the leaves and stems. The flowers have 3 bracts and a cup-like, green (becoming brown with age) calyx with 5 yellow petals, which are fused together at their base and turn reddish brown at maturity.
The fruits are small, 1-seeded capsules and sit in the calyx cup until becoming brown and dry. These perennial plants are quite hardy and spread easily.

Distribution
Not endemic to South Africa (pantropical distribution). Provincial distribution in South Africa: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West.

Habitat
In rocky areas in woodland and grassland, often in disturbed places.

Ecology
The tiny yellow flowers seem to attract different flying insects, such as butterflies and bees.
The 1-seeded capsules dry out and become brown, and will germinate in suitable moist soil, once they have fallen.

Kerrieblom Lasiosiphon capitatus
Order: Malvales. Family: Thymeleaeceae

Nelspruit © Richprins

At various times Lasiosiphon capitatus and some related plants have been classified in the genus Gnidia.

Description
Herbaceous small branching shrublet with a fleshy rootstock; usually copiously leafy. Leaves stalkless, sparingly hairy, not silvery, narrow lance-shaped, sharply pointed, up to 3 cm long x 6 mm wide, often bluish green. Inflorescence sometimes shortly stalked. Flowers numerous, relatively small, surrounded by slightly wider leaves; calyx tube c 1 cm long, white, silky-hairy as is underside of lobes, which are c 3 mm long, hairless and yellow above; petals usually conspicuous, membranous, white.

Similar species: Lasiosiphon kraussianus

Distribution
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho; South Africa (Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West); eSwatini.

Habitat
On reddish, stony, and sometimes clayey soil in open short grassland, shrub savanna, Acacia veld, also on hillslopes; 10–1700 m.

Links:
http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/t ... s:832103-1