''Clutia pulchella'', the lightning bush, is a southern African
dioecious shrub of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Peraceae
Peraceae Klotzsch is a family of flowering plants in the eudicot order Malpighiales. The family was segregated from the Euphorbiaceae by Johann Friedrich Klotzsch in 1859, and its uniqueness was affirmed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's Eupho ...
. It occurs at middle altitudes in Namibia, Mozambique,
Zimbabwe,
Eswatini,
Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.
Description
They may grow high,
[ and occur on a variety of broken terrain types.
The twigs are green with some wart-like growths. Leaf shape is somewhat variable, either blunt-tipped ovate or broadly lanceolate. The foliage is bluish-green but sometimes interspersed with some bright orange leaves.][i.e. punctate with pellucid glands, or pellucid-punctate.]
The axillary flowers develop into spherical,[ clearly three-chambered capsules. The capsules are about in diameter, and may bear warts. Seeds are released when the dry capsules burst open.
It is a food plant for the ]Heidelberg copper
''Chrysoritis aureus'', the Heidelberg copper or golden opal, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is found in montane grassland in Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces.
The wingspan is 24–28 ...
butterfly. It is similar to the related monoecious species '' C. abyssinica'', which has the leaves more elongated.[
]
Infra-specific taxa
* ''Clutia pulchella'' var. ''pulchella'' – widespread
* ''Clutia pulchella'' var. ''franksiae'' Prain – localized in South Africa
* ''Clutia pulchella'' var. ''obtusata'' Sond. – localized in South Africa and Zimbabwe
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5136759
Peraceae
Flora of Africa
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus