''Holubia'' is a

monotypic genus In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s belonging to the family

Pedaliaceae Pedaliaceae, the pedalium family or sesame family, is a flowering plant family classified in the order Lamiales. The family includes sesame (''Sesamum indicum''), the source of sesame seeds. It comprises 13 genera and approximately 70 spec ...

. The only species is ''Holubia saccata''. Its native range is

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

,Botswana Society, 1993

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

and the

Northern Provinces The Northern Provinces of South Africa is a biogeographical area used in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It is part of the WGSRPD region 27 Southern Africa. The area has the code "TVL". It includes the So ...

of South Africa. It is commonly found in disturbed sandy soils along riverbanks and along roadsides.

General description

It is similar in form to '' Harpagophytum procumbens'', another plant in the family of ''Pedaliaceae''. An upright,

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year ** Yearbook ** Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...

, or

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

, It grows up to tall, with slightly fleshy, square stem and spreading branches. It has

opposite leaves In botany, phyllotaxis () or phyllotaxy is the arrangement of leaves on a plant stem. Phyllotactic spirals form a distinctive class of patterns in nature. Leaf arrangement The basic arrangements of leaves on a stem are opposite and alterna ...

, which are also fleshy, circular to ovate shaped. They are petiolate (leaf stalk is long), and spinach-green in colour. They can be up to long, with the petiole reaching long. It blooms from summer to autumn, with large, solitary flowers in shades of yellow-green, yellow, cream or white. They have an unpleasant smell. They have a 30–40 mm long,

corolla tube Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...

that is fox-glove like, and it has a saccate spur, or a flattened sack at the base, which is 30 mm long and 20 mm wide. After flowering, it produces a fruit or seed capsule, that is often tinged with purple, large and angled, or rotund to circular in shape, and up to long, and wide. It has 4 wings. Inside the capsule, is dark brown, or black seeds, which are obovate shaped, 6 mm long and 4 mm wide. They have a leathery seed coat.

Taxonomy

It is known in

Tswana language Tswana, also known by its Endonym and exonym, native name , and previously spelled Sechuana in English, is a Bantu language spoken in Southern Africa by about 8.2 million people. It belongs to the Bantu languages, Bantu language family withi ...

as 'makgabeathutlwa', and in English as 'Sac flower'. The

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

name of 'Holubia' is in honour of

Emil Holub Emil Holub (7 October 1847 – 21 February 1902) was a Czech physician, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer in Africa. Early life Holub was born in Holice in eastern Bohemia (then within the Austrian Empire, now the Czech Republic), to t ...

(1847 – 1902), who was Czech physician, explorer,

cartographer Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...

, and

ethnographer Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...

in Africa. Also, the specific name of ''saccata'' is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''saccus'', meaning "sac" or "bag", and more specifically "moneybag", which refers to the spurred corolla tube of the flower. It was first published by Daniel Oliver in Hooker's book

Icones Plantarum ''Icones Plantarum'' is an extensive series of published volumes of botanical illustration, initiated by Sir William Jackson Hooker. The Latin name of the work means "Illustrations of Plants". The illustrations are drawn from herbarium specimens o ...

(Hooker's Icon. Pl.) Vol.15 in table 1475 in 1884. In 1975, Á. Löve & D. Löve published ''Holubia'' as part of the

Gentianaceae Gentianaceae is a family of flowering plants of 103 genera and about 1600 species. Etymology The family takes its name from the genus '' Gentiana'', named after the Illyrian king Gentius. Distribution Distribution is cosmopolitan. Characteri ...

family in Anales Inst. Bot. Cavanilles Vol.32 on page 226, this has been accepted by many authorities as

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...

and so mostly ignored. As of August 2021, the species was unchecked by the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

, and the genus of ''Holubia'' was verified by

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

and the

Agricultural Research Service The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...

on 17 September 1996, but the don't list any species.

Propagation

''Holubia saccata'' can be propagated by seed growing, which take place at any time of the year. It has been recommended that the seed coat should be removed, the blunt end of the seed is then chipped and left in water for a short period of time. When roots start appearing, removed from the water and place the plantlet into small pots filled with sterile soil, or a

Coir Coir (), also called coconut fibre, is a natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, and mattresses. Coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell ...

or sowing mix with added sand or

perlite Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently. It is an industrial m ...

(for drainage). They can be enclosed in plastic wrap and placed under fluorescent lights, for further speedier growth. The pots are then best kept in a greenhouse, with a constant temperature of 20-25°C and the soil should not dry out. The only problem is the pest control of Spider mites. Toxic

alkaloids Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar st ...

can be found in both leaves and seeds also the seed capsules (fruit) can cause a problem in sheep's wool.

References

External links

Has_an_illustration_the_plant

_Other_sources

*_Chapano,_C._&_Mamuto,_M._(2003)._Plants_of_the_Chimanimani_District_National_Herbarium_and_Botanic_Garden,_Zimbabwe,_Page_32. *_Chapano,_C._&_Mugarisanwa,_N.H._(2003)._Plants_of_the_Matobo_District_National_Herbarium_and_Botanic_Garden,_Zimbabwe,_Page_21. *_Ihlenfeldt,_H.-D._(1988)._Pedaliaceae_Flora_Zambesiaca_8(3),_Pages_89_-_91._(Includes_a_picture). *_Kirby,_G._(2013)._Wild_Flowers_of_Southeast_Botswana_Struik_Nature,_Cape_Town_South_Africa,_Page_213._(Includes_a_picture). *_Mapaura,_A._&_Timberlake,_J._(eds)_(2004)._A_checklist_of_Zimbabwean_vascular_plants_Southern_African_Botanical_Diversity_Network_Report_No._33_Sabonet,_Pretoria_and_Harare,_Page_66. *_Setshogo,_M.P._(2005)._Preliminary_checklist_of_the_plants_of_Botswana._Sabonet_Report_no._37._Sabonet,_Pretoria_and_Gaborone,_Page_92 *_Gideon_Smith._(1997)._List_of_Southern_African_Succulent_Plants._Umdaus_Press,_Page_135 {{Taxonbar.html" ;"title="Pedaliaceae">Has an illustration the plant

Other sources

* Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe, Page 32. * Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe, Page 21. * Ihlenfeldt, H.-D. (1988). Pedaliaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(3), Pages 89 - 91. (Includes a picture). * Kirby, G. (2013). Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana Struik Nature, Cape Town South Africa, Page 213. (Includes a picture). * Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare, Page 66. * Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone, Page 92 * Gideon Smith. (1997). List of Southern African Succulent Plants. Umdaus Press, Page 135 {{Taxonbar">from1=Q17715895, from2=Q9004517 Pedaliaceae
Flora of Botswana Flora of Zimbabwe Flora of South Africa Plants described in 1884