Gisekia africana
Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record
Image 1
Habit
20 Dec 2008
Image 2
Flowers and leaves
20 Dec 2008
Image 3
Flowers and leaves (note
reddish stem)
20 Dec 2008
Image 4
Flowers and leaves
22 Mar 2008
Image 5
Habit
22 Mar 2008
| Family: | Viscaceae |
| Full name: | Gisekia africana (Lour.) Kuntze |
| ID status: | Fairly certain |
| Afrikaans common name(s): | Volstruisdruiwe, Rooi-rankopslag |
| English common name(s): | Ostrich herb |
| Synonym(s): | Gisekia miltus Fenzl Gisekia mozambicensis Spreng. Miltus africanus Lour. Gisekia africana (Lour.) Kuntze var. africana Gisekia miltus Fenzl (*) Gisekia mozambicensis Spreng. (*) Gisekia pentadecandra Moq. |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: | A semi-succulent glabrous herb. Stems radiating from the crown, procumbent or prostrate, spreading, branching, 10–60 cm or more in length. Leaves mostly opposite, sessile or obscurely petiolate; blade elliptic, oblanceolate-spathulate, oblanceolate-oblong or oblanceolate, entire, 5–45 mm long, 1–12 mm broad, the apex retuse, obtuse, rounded or subacute, often slightly apiculate; petiole 0–5 mm long. Inflorescences sessile or pedunculate, umbelliform to laxly dichasial, 3–20-flowered. Pedicels 4–20 mm long. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, pinkish. Sepals 5, herbaceous, 2–3 mm long in fruit. Stamens 10–15 in male and hermaphrodite flowers, the filaments but slightly broadened below. Carpels 5 in hermaphrodite flowers, 10–15 in female flowers. (from JSTOR website) Herb, perennial; stems procumbent or prostrate, radiating from taproot, relatively little branched. Leaves sessile or obscurely petiolate, petiole 0–5 mm; blade elliptic to oblanceolate or spathulate, 5–45 x 1–12 mm, base cuneate to tapered, tip retuse to rounded or subacute. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, umbel-like to laxly cymose, sessile or pedunculate, 3–20 flowered; pedicels 4–20 mm. Sepals 2–3 mm long in fruit. Stamens 10–15 in male and bisexual flowers, filaments only slightly widened below. Carpels 5 in bisexual flowers, 10–15 in female flowers. (from JSTOR website) Prostrate to procumbent spreading glabrous herbs, annual or perennial with annual shoots, with several semi-succulent stems often tinged with red up to c. 50 cm long. Leaf-lamina 5–81 x 1–23 mm, entire, ranging from linear to linear-oblong, oblong, elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, spathulate, obovate or cuneate, the apex retuse, obtuse, rounded or subacute, often apiculate, the margins flat or slightly revolute; petiole 0–5 mm long. Inflorescences sessile or pedunculate, often numerous, umbelliform to dichasial, often many-flowered. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, pinkish, scentless; pedicels up to c. 16 mm long. Perianth-segments 5, 2–4 mm long in fruit, herbaceous, obtuse or subacute, with red or white membranous margins. Stamens (8)10–15(20) with filaments slightly broadened below. Carpels 5 in hermaphrodite flowers, 10–15 in female flowers. Fruit blackish, densely covered with warts. (from JSTOR website) Annual or perennial prostrate or procument herb. Stems up to 50 cm, fleshy, often tinged with red. Leaves variable, always long and narrow. Flowers in umbel-like groups, often many flowered, pale to deep pink; stamens 10-15. (from Flora of Zimbabwe 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 |
