Home | > | List of families | > | Pedaliaceae | > | Dicerocaryum | > | senecioides |
Synonyms: |
Dicerocaryum zanguebarium sensu Stapf Pretrea artemisiaefolia Klotzsch Pretrea forbesii Decne. Pretrea loasifolia Klotzsch Pretrea senecioides Klotzsch |
Common names: | Boot protectors (English) Devil thorn (English) Stud plant (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Prostrate perennial with annual creeping stems, occurring almost throughout Zimbabwe. Stems almost hairless or somewhat pubescent. Leaves opposite, usually narrowly ovate in outline, up to 2.7 cm long, often more or less deeply pinnately lobed; margin coarsely crenate-serrate. Flowers solitary, axillary, very pale to deep pink or mauve, usually with darker spots on the lower lip and in the throat. Fruit broadly elliptic in outline, 16-27 mm long, hairless or slightly pubescent, with 2 erect spines on a distinctly raised upper surface. |
Notes: | The distinctive fruits, armed with a pair of sharp points, which easily penetrate animal hooves, boots and even car tyres, aiding seed dispersal. |
Derivation of specific name: | senecioides: resembling a Senecio, reference unclear. |
Habitat: | Favouring bare ground and poor soils and thus forming a good prevention against soil erosion. |
Altitude range: | |
Flowering time: | Dec - Apr |
Worldwide distribution: | Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa |
Mozambique distribution: | N,Z,MS,GI,M |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Saturday 23 August 2014 |
Literature: |
Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Pages 186 - 187. also as Dicerocaryum forbesii (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 13. As Dicerocaryum senecioides senecioides Ihlenfeldt, H.-D. (1988). Pedaliaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(3) Pages 107 - 108. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 66. Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 121, plate 162 Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 91. Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 27. Wild, H. (1955). Common Rhodesian Weeds Government of Rhodesia, Salisbury Page 100. as Dicerocaryum zanguebarium (Includes a picture). |
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