Lobostemon montanus

Last updated

Lobostemon montanus
Lobostemon montanus S-2661.jpg
Lobostemon montanus from the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Genus: Lobostemon
Species:
L. montanus
Binomial name
Lobostemon montanus
(DC.) H.Buek
Synonyms [1]
  • Echium montanumDC.
  • Echium sprengelianum(H.Buek) DC.
  • Lobostemon sprengelianus' 'H.Buek

Lobostemon montanus, the turquoise bush bugloss, mountain lobostemon or agtdaegeneesbos, is a South African species belonging to the forget-me-not family. [2] [3]

Contents

Description

Growth form

This branching shrub typically grows 0.8–1.2 m (2.6–3.9 ft) tall, although it may reach a height of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). [4] It spreads up to 2 m (6.6 ft) wide. [3] The woody branches are hairless, while the terminal, upward growing herbaceous branches are hairy. [4]

Leaves

The stalkless hairy leaves are a silvery-green colour and are oval or oblong, widening towards the tip. [2] The leaves cover the entire plant to ground level, forming rosettes at the ends of branches. [3]

Flowers

Flowers are borne in large inflorescences at the top of the shrub between June and September. [2] The individual flowers are loosely arranged to form a globose (spherical) unit, spreading slightly in fruiting stage. The flowers are short and tubular, bell- or funnel-shaped. [3] They are blue or turquoise, with stamens that stick out of the top, past the petals. [2] The stamens are usually purple, contrasting with the pale petals. [3] The staminal scales occur well below the throat of the corolla tube (about 1 mm (0.039 in) above the base) and are reduced to rounded ridges and lack lateral lobes. [4] [5] The area between scales is also hairy. [4]

Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa, where it occurs in the Cape Floristic Region. It is found in mountainous areas between the Cape Peninsula and Onrus. It is currently most abundant in localities around False Bay. Populations are also known from Hermanus, the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, and from the lower northern slopes of Table Mountain, where the type specimen for this species was collected. [4] It is fairly common on mountains, rocky outcrops and along the coast, [3] where it occurs on sandstone soils. [4] It is also frequently found in disturbed areas, for example, along roads. [4]

Ecology

The blue flowers attract bees and also birds, particularly the orange-breasted sunbird, the lesser double-collared sunbird, and the cape sugarbird. [3] Baboons have also been observed to eat the flowers. [6]

While individuals may resprout from the lower stems or the trunk after fire if not too badly burnt, this species mainly recolonises through seeds. They reseed themselves most prolifically after a fire. [3]

Cultivation

Lobostemon montanus is relatively easy to grow in most gardens. It requires well-drained soils in a sunny position and does particularly well in rockeries and on embankments. It is a suitable plant for a coastal garden as the thick, hairy leaves protect it from the salt-laden wind. These thick, leathery leaves also make it highly drought resistant. It is, however, not cold tolerant and will need to be protected from frost.

It can be grown from cuttings or from seeds. [3] Cuttings from the tips of branches or thin side shoots root taken in spring or autumn well provided that they are not kept too wet. They should root after about two or three months if placed in a sandy bed that receives the cooler morning sun and are sprayed occasionally, whenever they look stressed. [3] Plants grow from fresh seeds collected from old flower heads that have turned a brownish-grey. Treat the seeds with hot water and thereafter with smoke to simulate fire in order to aid germination. Seeds should be sown in late summer or in spring. [3]

Conservation

Although this species has a narrow distribution, it is a common species within its range. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has classified this species as least concern. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Agapanthus africanus</i> Species of flowering plant native to South Africa

Agapanthus africanus, or the African lily, is a flowering plant from the genus Agapanthus found only on rocky sandstone slopes of the winter rainfall fynbos from the Cape Peninsula to Swellendam. It is also known as the lily-of-the-Nile in spite of only occurring in South Africa.

<i>Moraea aristata</i> Species of plant in the family Iridaceae

Moraea aristata is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is referred to by the common names blue-eyed uintjie or Blouooguintjie in Afrikaans.It is endemic to the city of Cape Town and is considered to be critically endangered.

<i>Ixia monadelpha</i> South African geophyte

Ixia monadelpha, also known as the pied kalossie or bontkalossie, is an endangered species of geophyte found in wet sandy flats in the southwestern Cape of South Africa.

<i>Wahlenbergia capensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Wahlenbergia capensis, commonly known as the Cape bluebell, is a plant in the family Campanulaceae and is native to the Cape Province but has been introduced to Australia. It is an annual herb with up to four greenish blue, bell-shaped flowers with spreading petal lobes.

<i>Lobostemon</i> Genus of flowering plants

Lobostemon is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Boraginaceae. It is endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. The majority of species are limited to the winter rainfall area of the country, from Springbok to Mossel Bay. In Afrikaans these species are known as agtdaegeneesbos, or loosely translated, bush that will heal in eight days. As this name suggests, many species have medicinal properties. This is best known from Lobostemon fruticosus, which is used for treating wounds, blood poisoning, ringworm, skin diseases and syphilis.

<i>Lobostemon argenteus</i> Species of plant endemic to South Africa

Lobostemon argenteus, or the silver healthbush, blue rocket bugloss or disselblaarluibos, is a species in the forget-me-not family that is endemic to South Africa.

<i>Lobostemon belliformis</i> Critically endangered species of plant endemic to South Africa

Lobostemon belliformis, the Gouriqua lobostemon or beaut healthbush, is a critically endangered species in the forget-me-not family. It is known from a single locality on the Riversdale Plain in South Africa.

<i>Lobostemon capitatus</i> Species of plant from South Africa.

Lobostemon capitatus is a species belonging to the forget-me-not family. It is endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa, where it is found between Porterville and Bredasdorp.

<i>Lobostemon curvifolius</i> Species of plant

Lobostemon curvifolius, the largeflower healthbush, is a species of the forget-me-not family from South Africa.

Lobostemon collinus, the pyjamabush or iron healthbush, is a species belonging to the forget me not family. It is known only from the fynbos biome of the Western Cape of South Africa.

Lobostemon cinereus, the ash healthbush, is a species belonging to the forget-me-not family. It is endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.

Lobostemon daltonii, the Infanta healthbush, is a species of the forget-me-not family endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.

Lobostemon decorus, the Rooiberg healthbush, is a species belonging to the forget-me-not family. It is endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa.

Lobostemon echioides, the common healthbush, is the mostly widely distributed species in its genus. It is endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa, where it is found growing between Namaqualand and the Karoo and the Eastern Cape.

<i>Lobostemon fruticosus</i> Species of plant from South Africa

Lobostemon fruticosus, also known as the eightday healthbush or pyjamabush, is a species of medicinal plant endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. It is considered to be ecologically and economically important but is declining due to overexploitation.

Lobostemon glaber, the renoster healthbush, is a species of plant from South Africa. It is in the forget-me not family.

<i>Lobostemon glaucophyllus</i> Species of plant from South Africa

Lobostemon glaucophyllus, the smooth-leaved bush bugloss or grey healthbush, is a South African plant species belonging to the forget-me-not family. It is endemic to South Africa's Cape Provinces.

Cheiridopsis purpurea is a species of succulent plant from South Africa. It is found growing in the succulent Karoo vegetation type.

<i>Syncarpha speciosissima</i> South African plant species

Syncarpha speciosissima, the Cape everlasting or Cape sewejaartjie, is a species of plant from South Africa.

<i>Heliophila africana</i> South African plant species

Heliophila africana, the African sunspurge or little blue mouth, is a species of plant from South Africa.

References

  1. ↑ "Lobostemon montanus". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Clarke, Hugh G.; Merry, Corinne (2019). Wild flowers of the Cape Peninsula. Corinne Merry (3rd ed.). Cape Town: Struik Nature. ISBN   978-1-77584-640-6. OCLC   1124073483.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Hitchcock, Anthony (2011). "Lobostemon montanus | PlantZAfrica". pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 BODATSA: Botanical Collections. v1.4. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Dataset/Occurrence. http://ipt.sanbi.org.za/iptsanbi/resource?r=brahms_online&v=1.4
  5. ↑ Manning, John (2012). Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region : 1: the core Cape flora (PDF). Peter Goldblatt, G. D. Duncan. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANBI. ISBN   978-1-919976-74-7. OCLC   852384288.
  6. ↑ Hall, K. R. L. (1977). "Numerical data, maintenance activities and locomotion in the wild chacma baboon. Papio ursinus". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 139 (2): 181–220. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1962.tb01827.x.
  7. ↑ Kamundi, D.A. & Victor, J.E. 2005. Lobostemon montanus H.Buek. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2021/07/25
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.