Muraltia heisteria
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Polygalaceae
Genus: Muraltia
Species:
M. heisteria
Binomial name
Muraltia heisteria
(L.) DC.
Synonyms[1]
  • Heisteria pungens P.J.Bergius
  • Muraltia albietina Chodat
  • Polygala heisteria L.
  • Polygala stipulacea Burm.f.

Muraltia heisteria is a shrub in the milkwort family (Polygalaceae) which is native to South Africa and is an emerging invasive species in South Australia.[2] It was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus.

Description

It is a very prickly, erect, sparsely-branched perennial shrub or dwarf shrub which is very rigid and densely branched. It has a height between 20 and 80 centimetres (0.66 and 2.62 ft).[3][4][5][6] It contains hard, thick, spine-tipped, lance-shaped leaves which usually have hairy edges. They are clustered along the stem and are 5 to 10 millimetres (0.20 to 0.39 in) long and 1 to 2 millimetres (0.039 to 0.079 in) wide.[4][5]

It produces small purple, pink, or occasionally white flowers which are thickly studded along the branches and 7 to 12 millimetres (0.28 to 0.47 in) long.[4][5][6][7][8] Its 5 sepals are 4 to 5 millimetres (0.16 to 0.20 in) long and almost equal in length while its 3 petals are 8 to 10 millimetres (0.31 to 0.39 in) long.[7][8]

Taxonomy

It was first described by Carl Linnaeus as part of the Polygala genus in 1753.[9] It was reclassified as a Muraltia in the 1760s.[10] It is named after Lorenz Heister, a German surgeon and botanist.[4]

Habitat and ecology

It is native to lower rocky mountain slopes with altitudes between 5 and 1,705 metres (16 and 5,594 ft) in Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, and Western Cape and has been introduced to South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria.[3][4][5] The plant has been shown to naturally self-pollinate.[10] It flowers between October and December in native areas, and between June and November in Australia.[4][5][8] It serves as the host plant of the insect Pseudococcus muraltiae.[11] According to the Red List of South African Plants, it is of least ecological concern and its population is stable.[12]

Uses

The flowering twigs of the plant are used as an appetite stimulant in the local area and the plant is cultivated in Australia.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Muraltia heisteria (L.) DC". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Muraltia Fact Sheet" (PDF).
  3. 1 2 "Muraltia heisteria (L.) DC". www.ville-ge.ch. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques Ville de Geneve. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Muraltia heisteria". Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Hermanus Botanical Society. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Muraltia heisteria". Flora of Victoria. Government of Victoria, Australia. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "MURALTIA Heisteria DC. [family POLYGALACEAE]". Global Plant Database. JSTOR. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Muraltia heisteria (L.) DC". New South Wales Flora Online. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 "Fact sheet for Muraltia heisteria". Flora of South Australia. Government of South Australia. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Polygala heisteria L., Sp. Pl. 2: 704 (1753)". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 South African National Biodiversity Institute. "Muraltia heisteria". PlantZAfrica. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Pseudococcus muraltiæ n. sp". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. Entomological Society of America. 5: 184–186. 1912.
  12. ↑ South African National Biodiversity Institute. "Muraltia heristeria (L.) DC". Red List of South African Plants. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
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