Family:
Zygophyllaceae R.Br.
Genus:
Tribulus L.

Tribulus zeyheri Sond.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Kenya to S. Africa.

[FZ]

Zygophyllaceae, E. Launert. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb with spreading prostrate or somewhat ascending branches, finely hirsute with longer scattered bristle-like bulbous-based hairs on all vegetative parts; branches up to 1·2 m. long.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves unequal; the larger up to 9 cm. long, with up to 9 pairs of leaflets; the smaller up to 5 cm. long, with up to 4 pairs of leaflets.
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets 4–20 × 2–11 mm., oblique, very variable, oblong, oblong-ovate or ovate, acute or subacute, pubescent on both surfaces or glabrous above, often ciliate.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules up to 10 mm. long, linear-lanceolate to obliquely ovate, ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncle 1·5 to 2 times as long as the subtending leaf.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5–10 (12) × 1·8–2 mm., linear-lanceolate, acute, densely pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals bright yellow, 10–20 (25) mm. long, up to 2·5 times the length of the sepals, broadly cuneate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Filaments 3–4 mm. long, anthers (1·2) 1·5–2·5 (3) mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style short; stigma 2–3 mm. long, slender, pyramidal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary with stiff bristle-like tubercule-based hairs.
Morphology General Glands
Intrastaminal glands connate, forming a shallow cup at the base of the ovary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit breaking up into 5 cocci, each usually with 4 (sometimes 6) equal spines, or spines reduced to thick warts, tuberculate on the dorsal crest and often laterally compressed.

[FTEA]

Zygophyllaceae, M. Nabil El Hadidi (Faculty of Science, Cairo University). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Annual or biennial hirsute herb, with all the vegetative parts covered by a fine indumentum and bristle-like bulbous-based hairs; branches prostrate, up to 60 cm. long; internodes cylindrical, 2.5-8 cm. long and 2-3 mm. in diameter.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 2.5-8 cm. long; leaflets 5-6 pairs, ovate, 7-10 × 4-5 mm.; stipules ovate-lanceolate, 3-5 × 1-2 mm., soon deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 15-50 mm. across; pedicel 15-40 mm., 1.5-2 times as long as the subtending leaf.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals linear-lanceolate, 6-12 × 1-3 mm., densely hairy, deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow, 7-22 × 5-18 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8-10 in 2 whorls; filaments 2-6 mm. long; anthers up to 2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary globular to pyriform; style short, 0.5-1.5 mm. long; stigma lanceolate, 1.5-3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit disc-shaped; stalk 1.5-5 cm. long; mericarp 4-10 × 2-6 mm., provided with 2 pairs of spines and sometimes a number of spinules.

Native to:

Angola, Botswana, Cape Provinces, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Free State, Kenya, Namibia, Northern Provinces, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

Philippines, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles

Tribulus zeyheri Sond. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Zeyher [272], South Africa K000417022 Unknown type material Yes
Zeyher [272], South Africa K000417023 Unknown type material Yes

First published in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 1: 353 (1860)

Accepted by

  • El Hadidi, N. (1985). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Zygophyllaceae: 1-14.
  • Exell, A.W., Fernandes, A. & Wild, H. (eds.) (1963). Flora Zambesiaca 2(1): 1-351. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • El Hadidi, N. (1985). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Zygophyllaceae: 1-14.
  • Exell, A.W., Fernandes, A. & Wild, H. (eds.) (1963). Flora Zambesiaca 2(1): 1-351. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • A. Schreiber in Prod. Fl. SW.-Afr. 65: 6 (1966), pro parte.
  • Engler in A. Engler & K. Prantl, Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien, ed. 2, 19a: 176 (1931).
  • Engler in A. Engler & O. Drude, Die Vegetation Der Erde, IX, Pflanzenwelt Afrikas 3 (1): 736 (1915)
  • Excell & Mendonça in Consp. Fl. Angol. 1: 255 (1951), pro parte.
  • Launert in Flora Zambesiaca 2: 128, t. 19A (1963), pro parte.
  • Schweick. in Bothalia 3: 168-169 (1937), pro parte.
  • Sond. in Fl. Cap. 1: 353 (1860).

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
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  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0