Tinnea galpinii
| Tinnea galpinii | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Tinnea |
| Species: | T. galpinii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Tinnea galpinii | |
Tinnea galpinii, commonly called the Cape sunbell, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is found in South Africa, Eswatini, and Mozambique.[2][3]
Description
This species is a low, spreading to slightly upright shrub growing from a woody base, reaching about 150–600 mm (5.9–23.6 in) high. The stems are few to several, softly woody and only lightly branched. The leaves are small and firm-textured, borne on very short stalks or almost without stalks, and are elliptic-lanceolate to ovate in shape, measuring about 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) long and 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) wide. They have smooth margins, blunt to slightly pointed tips, and are covered on both surfaces with fine hairs and small glands.[4][5]
The flowering spike is loose and unbranched, borne at the tip of the stem, and 80–200 mm (3.1–7.9 in) long, with many well-spaced whorls, each usually containing two flowers. The flowers are dark maroon to chocolate-coloured and have a violet-like scent. The calyx is densely hairy and gland-dotted, becoming inflated and egg-shaped as the fruit develops, about 10–14 mm (0.39–0.55 in) long and 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) wide, with rounded lobes. The corolla is finely hairy, with a tube 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) long and a three-lobed lower lip. The fruit is a smooth to slightly hairy nutlet about 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, surrounded by a broad, elliptical wing.[4][5]
Identification
Tinnea galpinii can be distinguished from Tinnea rhodesiana by its smaller size and softer habit, with suberect to spreading stems that are only lightly branched and more densely hairy, especially on the calyx. Its flowers are borne in slender, terminal inflorescences.[5]
Distribution and habitat
Tinnea galpinii grows among rocks in mountain grassland in Mpumalanga, extending along the Lebombo Mountains to Eswatini, down into Kwazulu-Natal, and along the coast to around the Mtentu River in Pondoland, Eastern Cape.[4]
See also
Notes
- ^ "Tinnea galpinii Briq". Red List of South African Plants. SANBI. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ "Tinnea galpinii Briq". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ Klopper, R. R.; Winter, P. J. D., eds. (20 March 2025). "The South African National Plant Checklist: 2025 official yearly release". South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ^ a b c Bredenkamp, C. L. (2019). A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Vol. 2. SANBI. pp. 1161–1162. ISBN 978-1-928224-28-0.
- ^ a b c Codd, L. E. W.; Dyer, R. A.; Rycroft, H. B.; de Winter, B. (1985). Flora of Southern Africa: The Republic of South Africa, Basutoland, Swaziland and South West Africa. Vol. 28. Govt. Printer. pp. 14–15. ISBN 0-621-08268-6.