- Family:
- Polygonaceae Juss.
- Genus:
- Oxygonum Burch. ex Campd.
Oxygonum alatum Burch.

[FZ]
Flora Zambesiaca. Vol. 9, Part 3. Polygonaceae-Myriaceae. Pope GV, Polhill RM, Martins ES. 2006.
- Type
- Type from South Africa (Northern Cape Province).
- Morphology General Habit
- A spreading prostrate semi-erect or erect, fleshy annual herb A spreading prostrate semi-erect or erect, fleshy annual herb.
- Morphology Stem
- Stems pinkish to reddish-purple, up to 50 cm tall, much branched from the base, longitudinally ridged, sparsely to densely covered with white cup-shaped and/or elongated scales Stems pinkish to reddish-purple, up to 50 cm tall, much branched from the base, longitudinally ridged, sparsely to densely covered with white cup-shaped and/or elongated scales.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaves fleshy, (14)17–85(125) × (2)4–25 mm, ovate to lanceolate sometimes rhomboid, acute at the apex, attenuate below into a short petiole, entire or shallowly to deeply lobed, the lobes usually further divided, midrib prominent on the undersurface Leaves fleshy, (14)17–85(125) × (2)4–25 mm, ovate to lanceolate sometimes rhomboid, acute at the apex, attenuate below into a short petiole, entire or shallowly to deeply lobed, the lobes usually further divided, midrib prominent on the undersurface.
- Morphology Leaves Ocrea
- Ocrea greenish-white, membranous, up to 1 cm long, funnel-shaped, glabrescent or covered with cup-shaped and/or elongated scales, truncate and fringed at the apex with red or white rigid setae 2–3.5 mm long, lobed or sometimes entire Ocrea greenish-white, membranous, up to 1 cm long, funnel-shaped, glabrescent or covered with cup-shaped and/or elongated scales, truncate and fringed at the apex with red or white rigid setae 2–3.5 mm long, lobed or sometimes entire.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Male flowers present; perianth 4–5 mm long; lobes 1–2 mm long; filaments 3–3.5 mm long Flowers pedicellate, 2–4 in the axils of bracts, arranged in lax terminal and axillary spiciform racemes 10–25(30) cm long; bracts membranous, 4–5 mm long, obliquely truncate and produced dorsally into a subulate seta 1–2 mm long; pedicels up to 7 mm long, pubescent or with cup-shaped and/or elongated scales Hermaphrodite flowers heterostylous; perianth pink or white, 5-lobed; tube c. 5 mm long; lobes 5–7 mm long and ovate-lanceolate Flowers pedicellate, 2–4 in the axils of bracts, arranged in lax terminal and axillary spiciform racemes 10–25(30) cm long; bracts membranous, 4–5 mm long, obliquely truncate and produced dorsally into a subulate seta 1–2 mm long; pedicels up to 7 mm long, pubescent or with cup-shaped and/or elongated scales. Male flowers present; perianth 4–5 mm long; lobes 1–2 mm long; filaments 3–3.5 mm long. Hermaphrodite flowers heterostylous; perianth pink or white, 5-lobed; tube c. 5 mm long; lobes 5–7 mm long and ovate-lanceolate.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
- Filaments 1.5–4 mm long, with a ring of cilia near the base; anthers grey-blue to blackish, 0.5–1 × 0.3–0.5 mm
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
- Ovary 5–7 × 1–1.5 mm; styles of the long-styled flowers 3–3.5 mm long; styles of the short-styled flowers 1–3.5 mm long
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Nut red or yellow-brown, (9)10–13 × 9–11 mm, trigonous, winged or not at the angles, sometimes with small spreading prickles in the lower one third, glabrous or with a few scattered cup-shaped and/or elongated scales. Nut red or yellow-brown, (9)10–13 × 9–11 mm, trigonous, winged or not at the angles, sometimes with small spreading prickles in the lower one third, glabrous or with a few scattered cup-shaped and/or elongated scales.
- Note
- Cup shaped scales found on all parts of the plant, elongated scales absent.
- Ecology
- In low rainfall areas, in gravel, stony or sandy soils and in disturbed places such as roadsides; 900–1250 m.
- Distribution
- Also in southern Angola, Namibia and South Africa (North-West Province and Northern Cape Province).
- sex Male
- Male flowers present; perianth 4–5 mm long; lobes 1–2 mm long; filaments 3–3.5 mm long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
- Filaments 1.5–4 mm long, with a ring of cilia near the base; anthers grey-blue to blackish, 0.5–1 × 0.3–0.5 mm.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
- Ovary 5–7 × 1–1.5 mm; styles of the long-styled flowers 3–3.5 mm long; styles of the short-styled flowers 1–3.5 mm long.
- sex Hermaphrodite
- Ovary 5–7 × 1–1.5 mm; styles of the long-styled flowers 3–3.5 mm long; styles of the short-styled flowers 1–3.5 mm long. Filaments 1.5–4 mm long, with a ring of cilia near the base; anthers grey-blue to blackish, 0.5–1 × 0.3–0.5 mm. Hermaphrodite flowers heterostylous; perianth pink or white, 5-lobed; tube c. 5 mm long; lobes 5–7 mm long and ovate-lanceolate.
Native to:
Angola, Botswana, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Mozambique, Namibia, Northern Provinces, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Oxygonum alatum Burch. appears in other Kew resources:
First published in Trav. S. Africa 1: 548 (1822)
Accepted by
- 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.
- Pope, G.V., Polhill, R.M. & Martins, E.S. (eds.) (2006). Flora Zambesiaca 9(3): 1-277. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Literature
Flora Zambesiaca
- Bothalia 17: 185 (1987).
- Burtt Davy, Fl. Pl. Ferns Transvaal, part 1: 167 (1926).
- F.C. 5, 1: 460 (1912).
- F.T.A. 6, 1: 99 (1909).
- Hiern, Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. 1, 4: 902 (1900).
- Kew Bull. 12: 165 (1957).
- M. Phillips, Guide Arable Weeds Botswana: 92, photo. (1991).
- Prodr. Fl. SW. Afrika, fam. 23: 3 (1969).
- Trans. Roy. Soc. South Africa 5: 346 (1916).
- Trav. South. Africa 1: 548 (1822).
Kew Backbone Distributions
- Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Pope, G.V., Polhill, R.M. & Martins, E.S. (eds.) (2006). Flora Zambesiaca 9(3): 1-277. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
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Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
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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
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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
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