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Geoxyle
A geoxyle is a plant in which an enlarged, woody structure occurs beneath the surface of the ground. Such plants have developed independently in various plant lineages, mostly evolving in the Pliocene and subsequently diverging within the last two million years. In contrast to their close relatives, these plants have developed in areas with both high rainfall and a high frequency of fires. They are sometimes known as underground trees, and the areas where they grow as underground forests. The geoxylic growth forms of woody subshrubs is characterised by massive lignotubers or underground woody axes from which emerge aerial shoots which may be ephemeral. These growth forms are found in savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...hs in southern Africa. It is thought they d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erythrina Zeyheri
''Erythrina zeyheri'', commonly known as the ploughbreaker, is a deciduous, geoxylic subshrub and member of the Fabaceae, which is endemic to southern Africa. It grows no more than 60 cm tall and occurs naturally in the higher altitude grasslands of South Africa's central plateau, and that of adjacent Lesotho.Reports of its occurrence in Botswana and Zimbabwe are suspect, see: They favour deep clay soil in the vicinity of creeks and marshes, and often form colonies. Its specific name commemorates the 19th century botanist, Karl Zeyher. Description It is a geoxylic plant, sometimes called an "underground tree", that produces annual stems, some 50 to 60 cm long. It has glabrous, leathery, trifoliolate leaves with large leaflets. The rachis and main leaf venation, which are prominently raised below, are armed with recurved spines on both leaf surfaces. The petioles and stems are likewise armed to discourage browsers. The shoots and leaves are deciduous, dying away dur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maytenus Nemorosa
''Gymnosporia nemorosa'' is a spiny, somewhat sprawling evergreen shrub or small tree with drooping branches growing to some 5 m tall and found along forest edges in Mpumalanga, Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal south to the Garden Route in the Southern Cape. In Maputaland the species adopts the form of a geoxylic suffrutex or ‘underground’ tree, with shoots sprouting from its woody, underground axis. Its fragrant white, unisexual flower clusters grow in the axils of leaves on lateral shoots resembling spines. Dusky-pink, pear-shaped, pendulous fruits are about 15mm in length and the same in diameter, dehiscing along three longitudinal lines to produce 3 valves curling back from the distal end to reveal orange arils enclosing the seeds. Leaves are alternate or tufted, hairless, leathery, 25-50mm long, with slightly serrate margins, ovate to round in shape, glossy and dark green above, paler beneath, emarginate to acute, depressed apex. Branchlets are spiny and densely spotted with pal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ancylobothrys Petersiana
''Ancylobothrys petersiana'' grows as a climbing shrub up to tall. Its fragrant flowers feature a creamy or white corolla. Fruit is spherical, up to in diameter. Vernacular names include "climbing wild apricot". Habitat is woodland and rocky hillsides. ''A. petersiana'' is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the Comoros and Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ....Search for "Ancylobothrys petersiana", The fruit contains edible pulp with a sour taste around the many seeds. It can be eaten out of hand or prepared into a sweetened juice, and it is sold in local markets for this purpose. References Geoxyles petersiana Flora of Africa Flora of the Comoros Flo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elephantorrhiza Elephantina
''Elephantorrhiza elephantina'', commonly known as the eland's wattle or elephant's root, is a subshrub in the mimosoid clade of legumes. They occur widely and in several bioregions of southern Africa. Considerable size variation has been noted, and polyploidy was suspected. Description They have a suffrutescent habit typical of their genus. They produce unbranched and unarmed aerial stems of less than a metre tall. The various populations show considerable variation in terms of the number of pinnae pairs and the number, size and shape of the leaflets. They flower from September to November and are pollinated mainly by the African honeybee. The flowering racemes are typically confined to the lower part of the stem, so that the pods are usually suspended just above ground level, or alternatively rest inconspicuously on the ground. Similar species '' Elephantorrhiza burkei'' has similar aerial parts, but its seeds are consistently smaller than those of ''E. elephantina''.cf. Botha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lignotuber
A lignotuber is a woody swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem, such as by fire. Other woody plants may develop basal burls as a similar survival strategy, often as a response to coppicing or other environmental stressors. However, lignotubers are specifically part of the normal course of development of the plants that possess them, and often develop early on in growth. The crown contains buds from which new stems may sprout, as well as stores of starch that can support a period of growth in the absence of photosynthesis. The term "lignotuber" was coined in 1924 by Australian botanist Leslie R. Kerr. Plants possessing lignotubers include many species in Australia: ''Eucalyptus marginata'' (Jarrah), ''Eucalyptus brevifolia'' (snappy gum) and ''Eucalyptus ficifolia'' (scarlet gum) all of which can have lignotubers wide and deep, as well as most mallees (where it is also known as a mallee root) and many ''Banksia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parinari Capensis
''Parinari capensis'', the sand apple, is a species of flowering plant in the family Chrysobalanaceae, found in Botswana, DRC, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. It is tall. The leaves are elliptic with a white underside. It has small white flowers and a hairy sand-coloured calyx. Habitat left, 200px, The species can be found on sand, in open woodland and grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ... on the elevation of . It blooms from September to October. The species is considered a geoxyle with a substantial part of the plant growing under the ground, an adaptation to fire-prone habitats. They have been considered therefore as forming immortal underground forests of great age. Uses The plant is used for anti-malaria purposes. Referenc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eugenia Capensis
''Eugenia capensis'', the dune myrtle, is a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ..., which is native to East and southern Africa. Subspecies The subspecies are: * ''E. capensis'' subsp. ''albanensis'' (Sond.) F.White * ''E. capensis'' subsp. ''capensis'' * ''E. capensis'' subsp. ''gueinzii'' (Sond.) F.White * ''E. capensis'' subsp. ''natalitia'' (Sond.) F.White * ''E. capensis'' subsp. ''nyassensis'' (Engl.) F.White * ''E. capensis'' subsp. ''simii'' (Dummer) F.White * ''E. capensis'' subsp. ''zeyheri'' (Harv.) F.White References Further reading * Flora of South Africa capensis Geoxyles Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Eugenia-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salacia Kraussii
In ancient Roman mythology, Salacia ( , ) was the female divinity of the sea, worshipped as the goddess of salt water who presided over the depths of the ocean. Neptune was her consort. That Salacia was the consort of Neptune is implied by Varro, and is positively affirmed by Seneca, Augustine and Servius. She is identified with the Greek goddess Amphitrite, consort of Poseidon. The god Neptune wanted to marry Salacia, but she was in great awe of her distinguished suitor, and to preserve her virginity, with grace and celerity she managed to glide out of his sight, and hid from him in the Atlantic Ocean. The grieving Neptune sent a dolphin to look for her and persuade the fair nymph to return and share his throne. Salacia agreed to marry Neptune and the King of the Deep was so overjoyed at these good tidings that the dolphin was awarded a place in the heavens, where he now forms a well known constellation Delphinus. Salacia is represented as a beautiful nymph, crowned with seaw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pachystigma Venosum
''Pachystigma'' was a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae but is no longer recognized. In 2005, it was sunk into synonymy with '' Vangueria'', based on a phylogenetic study of DNA sequence DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...s. References External links World Checklist of Rubiaceae Historically recognized Rubiaceae genera Vanguerieae {{Ixoroideae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eugenia Albanensis
''Eugenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven, distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The bulk of the approximately 1,100 species occur in the New World tropics, especially in the northern Andes, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Forest (coastal forests) of eastern Brazil. Other centers of diversity include New Caledonia and Madagascar. Many of the species that occur in the Old World have received a new classification into the genus '' Syzygium''. All species are woody evergreen trees and shrubs. Several are grown as ornamental plants for their attractive glossy foliage, and a few produce edible fruit that are eaten fresh or used in jams and jellies. Taxonomy The genus was named in honor of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Many species new to science have been and are in the process of being described from these regions. For example, 37 new species of ''Eugenia'' have been described from Mesoamerica in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58See the 2014 version of the ICS geologic time scale million years ago. It is the second and most recent epoch of the Neogene Period in the . The Pliocene follows the Epoch and is followed by the Epoch. Prior to the 2009 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
