Cheiridopsis pilosula explained

Cheiridopsis pilosula is a species of succulent plant from Namaqualand in the Northern Cape of South Africa.

Description

This succulent subshrub becomes raggedly clumped and lank with age. It grows up to 15cm (06inches) tall, with a diameter of 25cm (10inches).[1] The pale blue-grey leaves are slender and densely covered in hairs.[2] They do not have teeth and are prominently keeled.

Flowers are preset in August and September. They are yellow in colour and are borne solitarily.[3] While some populations have unicoloured petaloid staminodes, other populations have bi-coloured staminodes, in which the bottom third is white and the remaining two-thirds are yellow. The fruits are 10-locular and cylindrical below. They are covered in papillae, giving them a rough or velvety texture. The seeds are also covered in papilae.

Distribution and habitat

Cheiridopsis pilosula is endemic to the Northern Cape of South Africa, where it grows on quartzite flats and slopes.[4] It grows in the Richtersveld region, where it grows on the Stinkfontein Mountains and Klipbok.

Conservation

This species is considered to be of least concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute.

Notes and References

  1. e-Flora of South Africa. v1.36. 2022. South African National Biodiversity Institute. http://ipt.sanbi.org.za/iptsanbi/resource?r=flora_descriptions&v=1.36
  2. Klak . C. . Helme . N. A. . Bruyns . P. V. . 2015-01-01 . Cheiridopsis alba-oculata (Aizoaceae: Ruschioideae, Ruschieae) — A new quartz-endemic from southern Namaqualand, South Africa . South African Journal of Botany . en . 96 . 1–5 . 10.1016/j.sajb.2014.11.001 . 0254-6299. free .
  3. Book: Snijman, D.A. . Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Regionn, Vol. 2: the Extra Cape flora . South African National Biodiversity Institute . John Manning, Peter Goldblatt . 2013 . 978-1-919976-74-7 . Strelitzia . Pretoria . Pretoria . 866860203.
  4. Burgoyne, P.M. 2006. Cheiridopsis pilosula L.Bolus. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 6 February 2023