''Acrodon subulatus'', the Overberg tiptoothfig, is a species of

mesemb The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1800 species. They are commonly known as ice plants or carpet weeds. They are often called vygies in South Africa and Ne ...

from South Africa.

Description

''Acrodon subulatus'' is a compact perennial succulent.e-Flora of South Africa. v1.36. 2022. South African National Biodiversity Institute. http://ipt.sanbi.org.za/iptsanbi/resource?r=flora_descriptions&v=1.36 It lacks adventitious roots and has only a tap root. The internodes are not visible. The dark green leaves have a broad base and a pointed tip. The leaves are long and thick. The keel and margin may or may not have teeth, although the broad-based and flexible teeth are present more often than not. Flowers are present between November and April. They are white or pale pink with purple margins and a purple central line. They have a diameter of about . The stamens and filamentous staminodes form a dense central cone. The bracts reach less than halfway up the stem bearing a single flower. The fruits are borne on long, erect stalks. The closing body is lens-shaped and splits with pressure. This species shares the traditional compact ''Acrodon'' growth form with ''

Acrodon bellidiflorus ''Acrodon bellidiflorus'', the common tiptoothfig, is a mesemb species from South Africa. Description ''Acrodon bellidiflorus'' is a compact succulent perennial plant.e-Flora of South Africa. v1.36. 2022. South African National Biodiversity In ...

'' and '' Acrodon caespitosus''. It is the smallest and most compact of the three species and has the slenderest leaves.

Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, where it grows between Caledon and

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

. It grows in

Fynbos Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean clim ...

and

Renosterveld Renosterveld is a term used for one of the major plant communities and vegetation types of the Cape Floristic Region (Cape Floral Kingdom) which is located in southwestern and southeastern South Africa, in southernmost Africa. It is an ecoregion ...

areas on gravelly open patches that are shaded at times. This is a winter rainfall area.

Etymology

The species name (''subulatus'') refers to the way that the leaves taper from a broad base to a pointed tip.

Conservation

''Acrodon subulatus'' is considered to be endangered by the South African National Biodiversity Institue. When the species was assessed in 2006, it was found that there were fewer than 270 mature individuals across five small (20-100 mature individuals) subpopulations. The species has an extent of occurrence of under and over 80 percent of this land has already been lost due to agriculture. The species is also threatened by spreading invasive species, such as shrubs and grasses.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15610780 Plants described in 1928 Flora of South Africa subulatus