Cyphia digitata

Cyphia digitata
Conservation status
Least Concern  (SANBI Red List) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Campanulaceae
Genus:	Cyphia
Species:	C. digitata
Binomial name
Cyphia digitata (Thunb.) Willd.

Cyphia digitata is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cyphia , endemic to the Western Cape.

Description

Cyphia digitata is a twining climber, with an underground tuber.

The leaves along the stems are sessile or near-sessile, digitate (divided into 3-7 lobes) with segments that are linear(-lanceolate) and often slightly denticulate. Higher up on the stems the leaves transition into leaf-like 3-5 lobed bracts. At the base of the stems, against the ground, there are sometimes much broader leaves.

The flower shape is bilabiate, with the corolla tube divided entirely into two (three petals curved upwards, two down). The stamens are relatively long for the genus, 5-9mm. The flower colour is white or a light purple-cream. There are usually some purple spots on the inside of the petals. ^{[2] [3]}

It is closely related to, and often confused with, other southern Cape species such as Cyphia volubilis and Cyphia sylvatica .

References

1. https://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=1717-4006
2. Phillips, E.P. (1917). A revision of the South African material of the genus Cyphia Berg. Annals of the South African Museum 9:449-474.
3. Wimmer, F.E. (1968). Lobelioideae Supplementum et Campanulaceae - Cyphioideae. In: S. Danert (ed). Das Pflanzenreich 108:53-1024. Akademie Verlag, Berlin.