| Heliophila africana | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Heliophila |
| Species: | H. africana |
| Binomial name | |
| Heliophila africana (L.) Marais | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Heliophila africana, the African sunspurge or little blue mouth, is a species of plant from South Africa.
This annual herb grows up to 135 cm (53 in) tall. [2] [3] It is most commonly 60–70 cm (24–28 in) and may be sparely branched. [4] The leaves are lance shaped and are sometimes toothed. They lack stipules. [2] They grow to be up to 13 cm (5.1 in) long and sometimes have lobes. [4] The lower leaves grow on stalks, while the upper leaves are stalkless. [3]
Flowers, which are blue or mauve in colour, are most common between August and October. [2] They have four round petals with basal appendages surrounding a white center and a yellow stamen. [2] [3] While one appendage per petal is most common, they may rarely have two. [4] They contain 20-52 ovules. [2] The flowers are only open when it is warm, and will close when the environment cools. [3]
The fruits are liner. They are 13–100 mm (0.51–3.94 in) long. [2] They are flat or slightly rounded in cross-section with straight margins and 3-nerved valves although rare 5-valved specimens have been found). The seeds are subcircular or a broad oblong in shape and are 1.7–2.3 mm (0.067–0.091 in) long. [4]
This species is endemic to South Africa. It is found between Namaqualand and Swellendam, although it is most common between the Cape Peninsula and Clanwilliam. [4] It prefers sandy flats, where it grows between bushes and rocks. [2] [3]
Fatty acids make up approximately a third of the seed's dry weight for this species. Approximately 41% of this is made up of very-long-chain fatty acids. Linoleic acid makes up around 22% of the seed fatty acids. The relatively high levels of nervonic acid and lower levels of erucic acid may make this species one of commercial interest. [5]