Xylocopa caffra female, Anthophoridae, at Orphium fruitescens

''Orphium'' is a plant genus in the Gentian family ( Gentianaceae), endemic to South Africa. The name derives from the legendary Greek musician Orpheus.Chittenden, Fred J. Ed., Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening, Oxford 1951 The genus contains a single accepted species, ''Orphium frutescens'', commonly known as the ''sea rose''. Orphium arenarium C.Presl has been proposed as another species, but data suggest that it is synonymous with ''Chironia arenaria'' E.Mey. he Plant List (2010). Version 1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ (accessed September 2013)/ref>

Description

ORPHIUM E. Mey., Comm. Pl. 181 (1837); Hill & Prain in FC. 4, 1: 1095 (1909); Verdoorn in FSA. 26: 236 (1963)Dyer, R. Allen, The Genera of Southern African Flowering Plants”. , 1975 ''Orphium'' has the habit of an erect

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...

, virgately branched, more or less pubescent, with branches leafy to the apex. The leaves are opposite, sessile and rather crowded. They are fairly thick, slightly leathery and bluntly linear to narrowly cuneate. Some of the flowers may be solitary, while some are borne in inflorescences in the form of lax

cymes An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed on ...

, borne

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output devic ...

ly or in the

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s of upper leaves. The

calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

has five lobes fitting loosely round the base of the corolla. The tube is short and campanulate, with an annular,

crenulate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

disk inside at the base. The calyx lobes oblong and

mucronate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

, without a dorsal keel. The

corolla Corolla may refer to: *Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit *Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name * Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown * ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...

is a vibrant candy pink, or rarely white, setting off the vivid yellow anthers. The corolla tube is as long as the calyx or slightly longer. The petals are oblong to nearly circular, slightly longer than tube. The stamens are inserted below mouth of tube. The anthers are erect, with a slight spiral twist. The

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

has a single

locule A locule (plural locules) or loculus (plural loculi) (meaning "little place" in Latin) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usu ...

with parallel placentation. The stigma is terminal and peltate. The fruit is a capsule that splits

septicidal Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that o ...

ly.

Habitat and cultivation

''Orphium frutescens'' grows in the western coastal regions of Cape Province, South Africa. It is often found on the coast where it tolerates sandy and saline soil. It also tolerates clay as well however. It does best in temperatures from to . It has been under cultivation at the Kew Gardens in London since the late 18th century. The flowers do not release pollen unless they sense the vibrations of carpenter bees native to South Africa and so the plant will not produce seed without manual intervention when it is grown as an exotic.

Cultural references

The common name of ''Orphium frutescens'' in Afrikaans is ''teringbos''. This literally means "tuberculosis bush", suggesting that it has been used in folk medicine, but there is no mention of any such application in the major reference.Watt, John Mitchell; Breyer-Brandwijk, Maria Gerdina: The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa 2nd ed Pub. E & S Livingstone 1962 The sea rose is the titular subject of an Imagist poem published in 1915 by

Hilda Doolittle Hilda Doolittle (September 10, 1886 – September 27, 1961) was an American modernist poet, novelist, and memoirist who wrote under the name H.D. throughout her life. Her career began in 1911 after she moved to London and co-founded the ...

Notes

References

plantzafrica.com

Bee is key to flower power (BBC News)
* The Gardeners' Chronicle, January to June, 1892 {{Taxonbar, from=Q7104006 Gentianaceae Gentianaceae genera Monotypic Gentianales genera Endemic flora of South Africa