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Aspalathus desertorum [family FABACEAE]

Date Updated: 19 August 2007

Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Flora of Southern Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Names
Aspalathus desertorum [family FABACEAE]
Information
A shrublet 0,7-1 m tall with spreading, rigid, pale, frequently thorn-like branches. Young branches short-tomentose. Long-shoot leaves with a 0,5-1,5 mm long, slightly re­curved, woody spur or spine at the base. Leaf­lets subfiliform, 1-3,5 mm long, weak, subte-rete, obtuse-subacute, pale green, glabrous or with few hairs. Inflorescence of 1-3 flower(s) situated rather close together on the branch ends. Bract similar to a leaflet of a foliar leaf, filiform-subulate, 3,5-4,5 mm long, some­times supported by a woody spur less than 1 mm long. Pedicel 1,5-2 mm long, tomen­tose. Bracteoles subulate, 4-5 mm long. Calyx campanulate, tomentose; lobes triangular or narrowly triangular, 1,5-2 mm long, green, often ± recurved, upper deltoid, broader than the lower. Petals light or pale yellow, standard back sometimes ± purplish. Standard blade el­liptic-ovate, 7,8-9(-10) x 6,2-8(-8,5)mm, tomentose on the back. Wing blades 6-8 x 2,5-3,5 mm, glabrous. Keel blades subros-trate, 8,2-9,5 x 3-3,6 mm. Pistil: ovary tomentose; ovules 4-6; style glabrous; stigma regular, capitate. Pods not seen. Figure 35: 12-22.
Habitat
A very distinctive species. In the leaf base spurs it resembles A. rycroftii (no. 74), which is distinct by its marginate calyx lobes, its small bracts and bracteoles, the absence of upper-basal lobes of the keel petals, and its forwardly directed stigma.
Use
73. Aspalathus desertorum H. Bol. in J. Bot. 34: 210 (1896); Dahlg. in Op. bot. Soc. bot. Lund 9 (2): 110 (1963); ibid. 10 (1): 73 (1965). Type: Cape, Karroo Poort, Ceres Divi­sion, Bolus 2608 (BOL, holo.!; K).
Range
Restricted to mountains in the Ceres Division, where it grows near Gydo Pass, on the Bokkeveld Tafelberg and at Karoo Poort, etc. The species grows on compact clay weathered from shales, in a fynbos-renosterbos community. Map 36.

Date Updated: 19 August 2007

Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Flora of Southern Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Names
Aspalathus desertorum [family FABACEAE]
Information
A shrublet 0,7-1 m tall with spreading, rigid, pale, frequently thorn-like branches. Young branches short-tomentose. Long-shoot leaves with a 0,5-1,5 mm long, slightly re­curved, woody spur or spine at the base. Leaf­lets subfiliform, 1-3,5 mm long, weak, subte-rete, obtuse-subacute, pale green, glabrous or with few hairs. Inflorescence of 1-3 flower(s) situated rather close together on the branch ends. Bract similar to a leaflet of a foliar leaf, filiform-subulate, 3,5-4,5 mm long, some­times supported by a woody spur less than 1 mm long. Pedicel 1,5-2 mm long, tomen­tose. Bracteoles subulate, 4-5 mm long. Calyx campanulate, tomentose; lobes triangular or narrowly triangular, 1,5-2 mm long, green, often ± recurved, upper deltoid, broader than the lower. Petals light or pale yellow, standard back sometimes ± purplish. Standard blade el­liptic-ovate, 7,8-9(-10) x 6,2-8(-8,5)mm, tomentose on the back. Wing blades 6-8 x 2,5-3,5 mm, glabrous. Keel blades subros-trate, 8,2-9,5 x 3-3,6 mm. Pistil: ovary tomentose; ovules 4-6; style glabrous; stigma regular, capitate. Pods not seen. Figure 35: 12-22.
Habitat
A very distinctive species. In the leaf base spurs it resembles A. rycroftii (no. 74), which is distinct by its marginate calyx lobes, its small bracts and bracteoles, the absence of upper-basal lobes of the keel petals, and its forwardly directed stigma.
Use
73. Aspalathus desertorum H. Bol. in J. Bot. 34: 210 (1896); Dahlg. in Op. bot. Soc. bot. Lund 9 (2): 110 (1963); ibid. 10 (1): 73 (1965). Type: Cape, Karroo Poort, Ceres Divi­sion, Bolus 2608 (BOL, holo.!; K).
Range
Restricted to mountains in the Ceres Division, where it grows near Gydo Pass, on the Bokkeveld Tafelberg and at Karoo Poort, etc. The species grows on compact clay weathered from shales, in a fynbos-renosterbos community. Map 36.
Aspalathus desertorum [family FABACEAE]
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