Erythrina zeyheri

''Erythrina zeyheri'', commonly known as the ploughbreaker, is a deciduous, geoxylic subshrub and member of the Fabaceae, which is endemic to southern Africa. It grows no more than 60 cm tall and occurs naturally in the higher altitude grasslands of South Africa's central plateau, and that of adjacent Lesotho.Reports of its occurrence in Botswana and Zimbabwe are suspect, see: They favour deep clay soil in the vicinity of creeks and marshes, and often form colonies. Its specific name commemorates the 19th century botanist, Karl Zeyher.

Description

It is a geoxylic plant, sometimes called an "underground tree", that produces annual stems, some 50 to 60 cm long. It has glabrous, leathery, trifoliolate leaves with large leaflets. The rachis and main leaf venation, which are prominently raised below, are armed with recurved spines on both leaf surfaces. The petioles and stems are likewise armed to discourage browsers. The shoots and leaves are deciduous, dying away during harsh highveld winters, when the plant survives as an extensive woody, tuberous rootstock.

The upright inflorescences appear in summer, with the leaves, from October to January. The drooping scarlet, or rarely white flowers, are capped by a red calyxes. Their fruit are smooth black pods when mature, each containing a few large (1.0 to 1.7 cm long) seeds. These are hard and orange-red in colour.

Foodplant

It is a foodplant for the moth ''Terastia margaritis''.

Gallery

Erythrina zeyheri, blaarstekels, Krugersdorp.jpg, Abaxial leaf surface armed with recurved spines on main veins
Erythrina zeyheri 02 ies.jpg, The perennial tuberous rootstock
Erythrina zeyheri03.jpg, Green pods and seed

References

External links

Colony of ''Erythrina zeyheri'' after a grass-fire
Operation wildflower

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1651786

Geoxyles
zeyheri
Flora of South Africa