''Astroloba spiralis'' is a small

succulent plant In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

of the Astroloba genus, endemic to the southern

Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ext ...

regions of the

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

Provinces,

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 ...

Description

''Astroloba spiralis'' is a compact ''

Astroloba ''Astroloba'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)"Asphodeloideae" ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website'', retrieved 2016-06-10 native to the Cape Province of South Africa. ...

'' species, with upright, erect stems that are densely covered in pointed succulent leaves. Stems are roughly 15 cm in diameter, and reach a height of 200mm. The leaves are blue-green to grey in colour, they grow in 5 rows that sometimes form a gentle spiral. The leaves also have smooth surfaces (unlike the tubercled leaves of '' Astroloba bullulata'' and ''

Astroloba corrugata ''Astroloba corrugata'' is a small succulent plant of the Astroloba genus, endemic to the Little Karoo and the far south of the Western Cape, South Africa. Naming This plant has been known by several names in its history. It was named ''"Astro ...

''). Each leaf typically has an oblique keel near the point. The flowers appear in autumn (December to May). This species is easily confused with its close relative, the rare '' Astroloba herrei''. Both plants also have inflated, puffed up flowers (

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepals when ...

s). However the flowers of ''Astroloba spiralis'' are wrinkled (transversely rugose), and not smooth like those of ''herrei''. ''Spiralis'' is also genetically distinct, being a tetraploid. Usually ''spiralis'' also has more erect leaves (unlike the more spreading leaves of ''A.herrei'') but this is not a rule, and only the flowers can be used to distinguish these two species with certainty. Astroloba spiralis in cultivation - Cape Town.jpg, ''Astroloba spiralis'' in cultivation - locality Calitzdorp 1 Red Astroloba spiralis.jpg, ''Astroloba spiralis'' in habitat Astroloba spiralis flowers.jpg, The wrinkled ("rugose") flowers of ''A. spiralis''. Curtis's botanical magazine (Plate 1455) (8246936159).jpg, ''Astroloba spiralis'', from an 1812 botanical drawing

Distribution

It is indigenous to the "

Little Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ext ...

", on the southern edge of the

region of

. It extends through the Little Karoo from the Graaff Reinet District in the

Great Karoo, as far as Oudtschoorn and Calitzdorp in 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 ...

, where it becomes ''

Astroloba spirella ''Astroloba spirella'' (="''Astroloba smutsiana''" nom. nud.) is a small succulent plant of the genus ''Astroloba'', restricted to an area of the western section of the Little Karoo, South Africa. Description In appearance it is superficiall ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q751628 spiralis Flora of the Cape Provinces

Description

Distribution

Further reading and links

References