Montinia caryophyllacea Thunb.

First published in Physiogr. Sälsk. Handl. 1: 109 (1776)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Angola to Cape Prov. and SW. Botswana. It is a shrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/146406026/146450224

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Montiniaceae, E. J. Mendes. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
A twiggy shrub, 1–2(?4) m. high, almost glabrous (except for the leaf-axils and the base of the midribs).
Morphology Leaves
Leaves entire, 1·5–7·0 x (0·5)1–2·5 cm., linear to ovate or elliptic, apex obtuse, base cuneate narrowing into a petiole up to 1 cm. long which is dilated at the very base into an accrescent cushion which persists long after the fall of the leaf, becoming ivory-coloured.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal or subterminal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers ± numerous in corymbs 4–7 cm. long, erect; pedicels up to 1 cm. long, bracteate; bracts subulate; calyx-tube expanded, c. 3 mm. in diameter with (?3)4(?5) triangular, very short, calyx-lobes; petals (?3)4(?5), 3–5 mm. long, broadly ovate, with a broad crescent-shaped base, white; disk flat, subcircular, c. 2–5 mm. in diameter; stamens (?3)4(?5), with anthers broadly oblong c. 1·2 mm. long and filaments c. 1·5 mm. long. Female flowers solitary or in groups of 2(3), erect; calyx-tube c. 7 mm. long, fusiform; calyx-lobes, petals and disk as in the male; staminodes fleshy, very short; placentas 2, axile, elliptic, compressed and fused with the septum which in fruit becomes free from the walls of the capsule, hanging from its top; each placenta with up to 12 ovules in 2 longitudinal series; styles c. I mm. long, thick, 2-branched from the middle, each branch with a broad, subreniform stigma c. 1 mm. wide.
sex Male
Male flowers ± numerous in corymbs 4–7 cm. long, erect; pedicels up to 1 cm. long, bracteate; bracts subulate; calyx-tube expanded, c. 3 mm. in diameter with (?3)4(?5) triangular, very short, calyx-lobes; petals (?3)4(?5), 3–5 mm. long, broadly ovate, with a broad crescent-shaped base, white; disk flat, subcircular, c. 2–5 mm. in diameter; stamens (?3)4(?5), with anthers broadly oblong c. 1·2 mm. long and filaments c. 1·5 mm. long.
sex Female
Female flowers solitary or in groups of 2(3), erect; calyx-tube c. 7 mm. long, fusiform; calyx-lobes, petals and disk as in the male; staminodes fleshy, very short; placentas 2, axile, elliptic, compressed and fused with the septum which in fruit becomes free from the walls of the capsule, hanging from its top; each placenta with up to 12 ovules in 2 longitudinal series; styles c. I mm. long, thick, 2-branched from the middle, each branch with a broad, subreniform stigma c. 1 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 1·5–2·0 xl cm., ellipsoid, smooth, crowned by the persistent calyx-lobes, disk and style, loculicidally dehiscent from the apex; 2-valved, the valves cartilagineous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds compressed, c. 10 x 8 mm. including the ± elliptic, broad papery wing which is auriculate at the attachment point; seeds disposed on each placenta along 2 rows like the tiles of a roof.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images