Lobostemon daltonii
Scientific classification Edit this 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

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

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

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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 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.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 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.
  3. 1 2 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
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