Blepharis pruinosa
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Image 1
Spines and leaves
15 Jun 2008
Image 2
Branching
15 Jun 2008
Image 3
Flower
16 Jun 2008
Image 4
Habit
21 Mar 2008
Image 5
Bracts
22 Mar 2008
Image 6
Bracts
23 Mar 2008
| Family: | Acanthaceae |
| Full name: | Blepharis pruinosa Engl. |
| ID status: | ID not 100% certain |
| Afrikaans common name(s): | - |
| English common name(s): | Desert thistle, Mountain thistle |
| Synonym(s): | - |
| Status: | Endemic |
| Description: | Minutely scabrous-pubescent or glabrate; stems 8 in. long, rigid, internodes up to 1.5 in. long; leaves approximated in fours, the upper pair 1–1.75 x 0.25– 0.333 in., oblong or subelliptic, subentire (i.e. without lobes), with scattered spinous teeth, minutely scabrous; petiole 0– 0.167 in. long, axillary spines (i.e. the basal bracts of the next year's spikes) 0.5 in. long, linear, simple; spikes 1–1.5 in. long, axillary, 2–5-flowered; bracts 0.75–1 x 0.25– 0.333 in., acuminate into a lanceolate tip, glabrous, pruinose, nerves conspicuously white, spinous teeth 9 and up to 0.2 in. long; bracteoles 0.666 in. long, linear; anticous calyx-segment 0.666 in. long; posticous sepal 0.75 in. long, hairy within; corolla 0.75–1 in. long, blue. (from JSTOR website / Flora Capensis) The desert thistle (Blepharis pruinosa) can grow up to 1m high. Its long spikes allows it the luxury to remain protected from predators. Even the flowers, densely clustered mainly in fours, are armed with extremely spiny bracts. Blepharis pruinosa bear pretty blue flowers which become cream-coloured to white once dry. (from www.namibian.org website) |
| Link(s) |
African Plant Database
JSTOR Plant Science Kew Herbarium Catalogue BGBM Berlin-Dahlem - Virtual Herbarium Züricher Herbarien Flora of Zimbabwe Fleurs de notre Terre - Galerie Namibie |
| Content last updated: | 22 Nov 2011 |
