Vahliaceae
Vahlia

Vahlia capensis (L.f.) Thunb.

First published in Nov. Gen. Pl. 2: 36 (1782)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Northern Prov. to Cape Prov. It is an annual or subshrub and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Vahliaceae, D. M. Bridson. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
An erect to straggling or diffusely branched, cushion-like herb or suffrutex, annual or biennial or perennial, 3·5–55 cm. tall, often with a woody tap-root or rhizome, entirely glabrous, pubescent or densely glandular-hairy.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves linear-lanceolate, 0·7–5·9 x 0·05–0·75 cm., linear or narrowly linear (or elliptic in 1 S. African subsp.), acute at apex, narrowed to base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncles 0·2–1·5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 0·4 mm. long (sessile or subsessile in Angolan and SW. African varieties).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube 1·1–2(3) mm. long, glabrous to densely glandular hairy; calyx-lobes lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, (2·2)3–5(5·4) x 0·9–1·7(2) mm., frequently exceeding the tube in length, acute to acuminate at apex, the indumentum various but generally less dense than that of the tube, erect (or reflexing in subsp. capensis which is restricted to SW. Cape Prov.).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals pale to bright yellow, sometimes drying with a maroon area at base, varying from strap-like to orbicular, 2·3–7 x 0·8–5 mm., rounded, acute or occasionally acuminate at apex; margin ± entire to very irregularly dentate; mid and lateral veins usually apparent, usually hairy at the base inside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Filaments 2–5·4 mm. long, glabrous or sparsely hairy, base with a membranous, hairy scale (variable in shape and size) or only with hairs; anthers 1–2·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style-bases gradually and not markedly thickened, free to the disk, glabrous or rarely with short patent hairs; styles 4–6·6(8) mm. long, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 1·5–2·9 mm. long, glabrous to densely pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds straw-coloured to pale brown, ± ovoid or spindle-shaped, 0·3–0·55 mm. long, with distinct longitudinal ridges.
[FZ]

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]

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/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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