Tetraria thermalis (L.) C.B.Clarke, the bergpalmiet, is a South African perennial in the family Cyperaceae. The species is endemic to the Western Cape, from the Cape Peninsula to Nature's Valley, growing on sandy soils and sandstone slopes [1] There are some 50 species of Tetraria in Africa and Australasia, of which about 38 occur in the Cape fynbos. Tetraria, currently, is polyphyletic and in need of taxonomic revision. [2][3][4]
| Tetraria thermalis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Cyperaceae |
| Genus: | Tetraria |
| Species: | T. thermalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Tetraria thermalis (L.) C.B.Clarke
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| Synonyms | |
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This is a pioneer plant which recovers rapidly after fire, aiding the regrowth of other species. It reaches some 2,5 m in height, is trigonous with wiry, drooping yellow-green leaves that are narrowly sword-shaped and keeled. They have scabrid leaf margins armed with minute teeth pointing to the leaf apex. [5] The flowering stems are erect and triangular in cross-section, standing well above the leaves. Nutlets are small and trigonous, often crowned by a persistent style, and are consumed by the Chacma baboon.
References
edit- ^ "Operation Wildflower - rescuing indigenous vegetation - Category: Fynbos - Image: Tetraria thermalis, the bergpalmiet".
- ^ "Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants".
- ^ "Tetraria thermalis (L.) C.B.Clarke".
- ^ Elliott, T.L.; Muasya, A.M. (2017). "Taxonomic realignment in the southern African Tetraria (Cyperaceae, tribe Schoeneae; Schoenus clade)". South African Journal of Botany. 112: 354–360. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2017.06.011.
- ^ "Tetraria thermalis in Global Plants".