Gutenbergia rueppellii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Gutenbergia
Species:
G. rueppellii
Binomial name
Gutenbergia rueppellii
Sch.Bip., 1840
Synonyms[1]
  • Ethulia rueppellii Hochst. ex A.Rich.
  • Gutenbergia abyssinica Sch.Bip.
  • Gutenbergia arenarioides Muschl.
  • Gutenbergia elgonensis R.E.Fr.
  • Gutenbergia oppositifolia O.Hoffm. & Muschl.

Gutenbergia rueppellii is an African species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

Description

Annual or perennial herb, 3–75 cm tall, sometimes rather woody and often densely tufted; stems erect or rarely decumbent or spreading. Leaves alternate or the proximal opposite, linear to narrowly ovate, (narrowly) elliptic or oblanceolate, 0.4–10 cm long, 0.1-1.4 cm wide, base cuneate to +/- expanded-auriculate, margins sub-entire, apex obtuse to acute, apiculate, green and sparsely pubescent to silvery- grey above, white tomentose beneath. Capitula rather few to very numerous in small to lax and diffuse terminal and upper axillary corymbiform cymes; stalks of individual capitula shortly white-hairy, involucre obconic-turbinate to campanulate- hemispherical 2–6 mm in diameter at flowering time; phyllaries 3-4 seriate, ovate to ovate-oblong, the inner 3.5–7 mm long, acute, pungent, straight or recurving at the apex, darker green and often purple-tinged at the centre towards the apex, densely pubescent to glabrescent, scarious and shortly pectinate-fimbriate at the margins. Corolla 3.3–7 mm long, purple or violet, rarely white, lobes white hairy with appressed hairs, 1.3–3 mm long. Achenes obconic-cylindrical or ellipsoid-cylindrical, slightly constricted towards the apex, often slightly curved, 1.2-2.2 mm long (7 or 10) ribbed, with slightly more prominent ribs alternating with slightly less prominent ribs, sparsely ascending hairy or glabrous, pappus absent.[2]

Taxonomy

It is named after the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell, who had travelled in Abyssinia in 1830.[3]

It was found in Abyssinia,[4] and then first published and described by Carl Heinrich 'Bipontinus' Schultz in 'Gedenkb'. IV (edited by Jubelf. Buchdr.) on page 120 and table4 in 1840.[5][4]

Distribution

The species is native to an area of central East Africa.[1] Countries and regions that is occurs in are: Zaïre; Tanzania; Burundi; Kenya; Uganda; Somalia; South Sudan; Ethiopia; Sudan?; and Eritrea.

It is listed as a threatened plant of the forests of Cherangani hills, Kenya.[6]

Habitat

It grows on wooded savannas and on the edges of cornfields, at 850–800 m (2,790–2,620 ft) m above sea level.[7]

It also grows on Dry bushland, open woodland or thickets and in grassland, on shallow soils over rock or on black cotton soils (Vertisol).[8]

Uses

In Ethiopia, it is commonly known as Bututtu iluu and the leaves of the plant are used as fodder for cattle, sheep and goats.[9]

Variety

It has one known variety; Gutenbergia rueppellii var. fischeri (R.E.Fr.) C.Jeffrey. with its own synonym Gutenbergia fischeri R.E.Fr.<[1][10] The variety is named after the German explorer Gustav Fischer. It is native to Kenya and Tanzania, and was published by Charles Jeffrey (1934-) based on an earlier description by Robert Elias Fries in Kew Bull. Vol.43 on page 254 in 1988.[11] It differs from the main form, in habit, leaf-shape, size of capitula (flower head) and achene (fruit).[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Gutenbergia rueppellii Sch.Bip". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "Gutenbergia rueppellii in Global Plants on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ↑ Friis, Ib (2013). "Travelling Among Fellow Christians (1768-1833): James Bruce, Henry Salt and Eduard Rüppell in Abyssinia" (PDF). Scientia Danica, Series H. 4 (2): 161–195. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Gutenbergia rueppellii Sch.Bip". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "Gutenbergia rueppellii Sch.Bip. is an accepted name". Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  6. ↑ Mbuni, Yuvenalis Morara; Zhou, Yadong; Wang, Shengwei; Ngumbau, Veronicah Mutele; Musili, Paul Mutuku; Mutie, Fredrick Munyao; Njoroge, Brian; Kirika, Paul Muigai; Mwachala, Geoffrey; Vivian, Kathambi; Rono, Peninah Cheptoo; Hu, Guangwan; Wang, Qingfeng (18 April 2019). "An annotated checklist of vascular plants of Cherangani hills, Western Kenya". PhytoKeys (120): 1–90. doi:10.3897/phytokeys.120.30274. PMC 6483958. PMID 31065231. S2CID 146063282.
  7. ↑ "Gutenbergia rueppellii Sch.-Bip. Species". www.floredafriquecentrale.be. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  8. 1 2 Henk Beentje Flora of Tropical East Africa - Compositae 1 (2000), p. 130, at Google Books
  9. ↑ Gemeda, Belete S.; Hassen, Abubeker; Ebro, Abule; Asafa, Tadese; Amen, Nura (September 2011). "Identification of potential untapped herbaceous flora in the mid rift valley of Ethiopia and their nutritive value". African Journal of Agricultural Research. 6 (17): 4153–4158.
  10. ↑ "Gutenbergia rueppellii (R.E. Fr.) C. Jeffrey var. fischeri [family ] on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "Gutenbergia rueppellii var. fischeri (R.E.Fr.) C.Jeffrey | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
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