Heliophila africana, the African sunspurge or little blue mouth, is a species of plant from South Africa.
| Heliophila africana | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Heliophila |
| Species: | H. africana
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| Binomial name | |
| Heliophila africana (L.) Marais
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
editThis annual herb grows up to 135 cm (53 in) tall.[2][3] It is most commonly 60–70 cm (24–28 in) and may be sparely branched.[4] The leaves are lance shaped and are sometimes toothed. They lack stipules.[2] They grow to be up to 13 cm (5.1 in) long and sometimes have lobes.[4] The lower leaves grow on stalks, while the upper leaves are stalkless.[3]
Flowers, which are blue or mauve in colour, are most common between August and October.[2] They have four round petals with basal appendages surrounding a white center and a yellow stamen.[2][3] While one appendage per petal is most common, they may rarely have two.[4] They contain 20-52 ovules.[2] The flowers are only open when it is warm, and will close when the environment cools.[3]
The fruits are liner. They are 13–100 mm (0.51–3.94 in) long.[2] They are flat or slightly rounded in cross-section with straight margins and 3-nerved valves although rare 5-valved specimens have been found). The seeds are subcircular or a broad oblong in shape and are 1.7–2.3 mm (0.067–0.091 in) long.[4]
Distribution and habitat
editThis species is endemic to South Africa. It is found between Namaqualand and Swellendam, although it is most common between the Cape Peninsula and Clanwilliam.[4] It prefers sandy flats, where it grows between bushes and rocks.[2][3]
Chemistry
editFatty acids make up approximately a third of the seed's dry weight for this species. Approximately 41% of this is made up of very-long-chain fatty acids. Linoleic acid makes up around 22% of the seed fatty acids. The relatively high levels of nervonic acid and lower levels of erucic acid may make this species one of commercial interest.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Heliophila africana". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Manning, John; Goldblatt, Peter (2012). Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region : 1: the core Cape flora (PDF). Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANBI. ISBN 978-1-919976-74-7. OCLC 852384288.
- ^ a b c d e Clarke, Hugh G.; Merry, Corinne (2019). Wild flowers of the Cape Peninsula (3rd ed.). Cape Town: Struik Nature. ISBN 978-1-77584-640-6. OCLC 1124073483.
- ^ a b c d e 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
- ^ Smith, M. A.; Zhang, H. (2018-07-01). "Very-long-chain fatty acid diversity in nine Heliophila seed oils". South African Journal of Botany. 117: 50–56. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2018.04.019. ISSN 0254-6299. S2CID 90653582.