Vahliaceae
Vahlia

Vahlia somalensis Chiov.

First published in Fl. Somala 1: 170 (1929)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. & S. Ethiopia to E. Kenya. It is an annual or subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Vahliaceae, M. Bridson. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1975

Morphology General Habit
Much-branched herbaceous to woody annual or perennial; stems ascending or decumbent, 11–50 cm. long; glabrous or covered with patent or crisped hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ovate-lanceolate or ovate, 0.4–3.1 cm. long, 0.25–1.3 cm. wide, apex acute, narrowing or rounded at the base, glabrous or with only a few hairs confined to the margins and midrib beneath, or occasionally with shorter sparse hairs all over.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers subsessile, the peduncles and pedicels not exceeding 2 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube 1.6–2.5 mm. long, glabrous or densely hairy; lobes lanceolate to ovate, 3.8–7.2 mm. long, 1.2–3 mm. wide, acute to rostrate, glabrous or with a few hairs on the margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow, sometimes drying with a maroon spot at the base, ovate, 4–7.1 mm. long, 2.2–5.1 mm. wide, shortly or long apiculate, narrowed at the base, entire to finely crenate or undulate towards the apex, midvein and lateral veins apparent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Filaments 3.5–6.3 mm. long, hairy, with a conspicuous basal appendage; appendage membranous, ± round, 0.5–1.5 mm. wide, with the top projecting forward and free of the filament, hairy; anthers 1.3–2.8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style-bases distinctly thickened, not separating for 0.3–0.8 mm. above the disc; styles 4.1–7.6 mm. long, sparsely covered with hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule subglobose, 2.5–3.6 mm. long, glabrous or hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds orange-brown or grey-brown, ovoid, 0.2–0.3 mm. long, indistinctly scalariform or reticulate.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herb; stems 11–50 cm long, glabrous or hairy
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ovate-lanceolate to ovate, 0.4–3.1 x 0.25–1.3 cm, acute at the apex, glabrous or ± sparsely pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers subsessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube 1.6–2.5 mm long, glabrous or hairy; lobes 3.8–7.2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow, 4–7.1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments hairy with a conspicuous appendage at base; anthers 1.3–2.8 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Styles 4.1–7.6 mm long, sparsely hairy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 2.5–3.6 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds with indistinct ridges or reticulation.
[FSOM]

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 of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • 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