genus descriptions: SSAs

Ammi

L.
Source:
SSA
Description:
Robust, erect, annual or perennial herbs; stem sparingly branched and wiry, glabrous; taproot slender. Leaves pinnate or bipinnate, with ultimate segments elliptic to broadly obovate, toothed along margins; segments of upper leaves narrower. Flowers in large, compound, showy, many-rayed, terminal umbels; involucres conspicuous, of several pinnate bracts. Calyx with obsolete teeth. Petals ovate, white. Fruit narrowly oblong, glabrous, with pale, narrow ribs; oil ducts 6, 4 in furrows, 2 on inner face. Seeds dorsally compressed. x = 10, 11.
Distribution:
Species 3 or 4, Europe, Asia and Africa; 1 in sthn Afr.: * Ammi majus L. var. glaucifolium (L.) Godron, Lace-plant; cultivated for decorative purposes and has become naturalised in several places in sthn Afr.

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith
Anginon

Raf.
Source:
SSA
Description:
Woody shrubs or undershrubs, sometimes glaucous. Leaves tripinnatisect, often reduced to rachises and/or petioles which are sometimes long, simple and pine needle-like, with or without longitudinal grooves along upper sides. Flowers in compound, bracteate umbels. Calyx with short, triangular teeth or linear, acute lobes. Petals broadly ovate, inflexed at apex, keeled on inner face. Disc conical. Styles shorter or longer than petals. Stamens +/- as long as petals. Fruit somewhat elliptic, crowned with persistent disc and styles, smooth, rugose or tuberculate but not ribbed or winged; mericarps flat on face, convex on back, a single oil duct in each of 4 furrows and 2 on face, rarely 8-12 around each seed; carpophore bipartite. Seeds semiterete.
Distribution:
Species 12, sthn Afr., S Namibia, Northern and Western to Eastern Cape.

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith
Annesorhiza

Cham. & Schltdl.
Source:
SSA
Description:
Biennial or perennial herbs; scapes almost leafless; roots tuberous, usually fleshy, often pencil-like, single or in clusters. Leaves radical, usually developing after flowering; sometimes large, petiolate, pinnatipartite or multisect, or pinnate with pinnae lobed; cauline leaves scale-like. Flowers in umbels of many rays; involucres of small bracts. Calyx with small or obsolete teeth. Petals elliptic, with inflexed apex, keeled on face. Disc broadly conical or cushion-like. Fruit oblong, more than 5 mm long, crowned with calyx teeth and disc, slightly or distinctly winged; mericarps homomorphic or heteromorphic, flat on inner face, prominently veined, when heteromorphic then one 3-ribbed and the other 4-ribbed; ribs sclerified; oil ducts 6, 4 in furrows, 2 on inner face; carpophore bipartite. Seeds dorsally compressed, terete or concave-convex in cross section, flat or grooved on face.
Distribution:
Species 12, sthn Afr., widely distributed in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith
Anthriscus

Pers.
Source:
SSA
Description:
Annual, biennial or perennial herbs. Leaves bipinnate, tripinnate or sometimes 4-pinnate, fern-like; segments lanceolate to acuminate, toothed, glabrous or somewhat hairy. Flowers in sparse, terminal, compound umbels; involucres small or usually absent. Calyx 0. Petals notched, white. Fruit narrowly oblong, slightly 3-angled dorsally, glabrous and shiny at maturity. Seeds semiterete and grooved on face. x = 8 (7, 9).
Distribution:
Species 10-12, Europe, Asia and Africa; 1 supposedly naturalised in sthn Afr.: *Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm. var. sylvestris, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho and Eastern Cape.

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith
Apium

L.
Source:
SSA
Description:
Annual, biennial, or weak perennial herbs. Leaves pinnate to ternately decompound, upper ones becoming sessile. Flowers in compound umbels, usually opposite leaves, sessile or shortly pedunculate; involucral bracts 0 or many and foliaceous. Calyx teeth obsolete. Petals ovate, concave, entire or slightly emarginate, inflexed at apex. Styles short, divergent; bases depressed, with entire margins. Fruit ovate, laterally flattened, glabrous; mericarps each with 5 longitudinal ribs; oil ducts 4 in furrows and 2 on face. x = 11 (7, 8) ( polyploidy).
Distribution:
Species 25, cosmopolitan; 4 in sthn Afr., widespread; 1 indigenous: Apium prostratum Vent (Sea Celery), along the coast, from the Cape Peninsula (Western Cape) to the Eastern Cape; the naturalised species include *A. graveolens L., Celery.

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith
Arctopus

L.
Source:
SSA
Description:
Acaulescent, perennial herbs with thick rootstock, dioecious. Leaves simple, spreading rosette-wise on ground, petiolate, ovate, lobed, with setose margins, mostly spiny on upper surface. Male flowers in a compound, stalked umbel, with an involucre of 5-7 spine-tipped bracts; sepals 5, linear-oblong; petals oblong or oblanceolate, with long, inflexed tips; disc flattened; stamens longer than petals; filaments linear; anthers oblong; style 0. Female flowers in sessile umbels surrounded by 4(5) connate, spine-tipped bracts; sepals usually 5, spinose-acute, becoming rigid; petals sepal-like; styles linear, longer than sepals. Fruit +/- oblong, usually beaked; carpophore undivided; mericarps flat on inner face, with primary veins spiny, without oil ducts. Seeds +/- elliptic, flat on one face, slightly convex on other. x = 9 (1 report).
Distribution:
Species 3, from Calvinia District (Northern Cape) to Cape Peninsula (Western Cape) and eastwards along the coast to Grahamstown (Eastern Cape).

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith
Berula

W.D.J.Koch
Source:
SSA
Description:
Perennial herbs, robust, glabrous, sometimes aquatic. Leaves elongate, once-pinnate; pinnae fairly regular in size, serrate or toothed on margin. Flowers in compound umbels; involucres of many persistent bracts. Calyx with 5 small teeth. Petals obcordate, with an inflexed apex and keeled down inner face. Stamens exceeding petals; filaments filiform; anthers oblong. Styles terete, subcapitate. Fruit ovate or oblong, laterally flattened, indistinctly ribbed; mericarps convex on back, keeled on face, oil ducts 6, set deep in mesocarp, 4 in furrows, 2 on face; carpophore bipartite. Seeds subterete. x = 9 (6, 10, 11).
Distribution:
Species 1, +/- cosmopolitan; 1 subspecies in sthn Afr.: Berula erecta (Huds.) Coville subsp. thunbergii (DC.) B.L.Burtt, spread almost throughout the region.

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith
Bupleurum

L.
Source:
SSA
Description:
Annual or perennial herbs, sometimes undershrubs. Leaves +/- crowded at base of stem, lax above, entire and grass-like, attentuate to base and sometimes stem-clasping. Flowers in compound umbels, with or without bracts. Calyx with small or obsolete teeth. Petals subcircular, obovate or oblong, +/- deeply concave, inflexed at apex, keeled on inner face. Disc flat, depressed, rarely subconical. Stamens longer than petals. Styles very short. Fruit +/- laterally flattened, sometimes subdidynamous, oblong, crowned with disc; mericarps with 5 acute wings or prominent veins, rarely veins obsolete; oil ducts present or 0; carpophore 2-fid or 2-partite. Seeds subterete. x = 7, 8 (6, 11) ( polyploidy, B-chromosomes).
Distribution:
Species +/- 180, mainly Europe, Asia and Africa; 1 in sthn Afr.: Bupleurum mundii Cham. & Schltdl.; widespread in the southern, eastern and northeastern parts of sthn Afr.; *B. rotundifolium L. occurs rarely as an escape in the northern parts of South Africa.

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith
Capnophyllum

Gaertn.
Source:
SSA
Description:
Annual, monoecious herbs. Leaves 2- or 3-pinnate, with ultimate segments linear. Flowers unisexual, in terminal and lateral umbels; involucres of a few bracts. Calyx with 0 or only small teeth. Petals elliptic, with inflexed apex. Disc cushion-shaped. Stamens longer than petals; filaments linear; anthers elliptic, subdidynamous. Fruit elliptic in outline, ribbed; mericarps strongly dorsiventrally flattened, convex on back, concave on face and with winged margins, with or without warty ridges; oil ducts 6, 4 in furrows, 2 on face; carpophore 2-partite. Seeds +/- oblong in cross section. x = 10.
Distribution:
Species 2, South Africa; coastal sands of the Northern and Western Cape, from Port Nolloth to Gansbaai.

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith
Chamarea

Eckl. & Zeyh.
Source:
SSA
Description:
Perennial herbs with fleshy, tuberous root and slender, leafless scapes. Leaves basal, arising after flowering, the first formed ones finely dissected or sometimes pinnate with broad, dentate lobes, the later ones variously dissected, usually finely bi- or triternate, segments dentate. Flowers in compound umbels; involucre often absent. Calyx with or without minute teeth. Petals obovate or elliptic, with long, inflexed apex and keeled inner face. Disc shortly conical. Stamens slightly shorter than petals; filaments terete; anthers elliptic. Styles short. Fruit small, ovoid, shorter than 4 mm, usually narrowing towards apex, ribbed; mericarps flat on face, convex on back, with 5 prominent ribs; oil ducts 6, 1 in each furrow, 2 on face; carpophore bipartite. Seeds semiterete.
Distribution:
Species 5 or more, widespread in the western, central and southern parts of South Africa and eastwards as far as the Eastern Cape.

Mon, 2009-04-27 09:15 -- Emily Smith

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