e-Key v3 - Osyris
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Santalaceae - Osyris L.

Description :

  • Small trees or shrubs, sometimes androdioecious
  • Leaves alternate, subopposite to opposite and decussate, shortly petiolate, penninerved, glabrous, blue-green with a grey bloom
  • Inflorescences lateral cymes, terminal panicles or flowers solitary; sometimes with leaf-like bracts at base
  • Flowers bisexual or male
  • Perianth : tube short, adnate to ovary, solid in male flowers; lobes 3 or 4(-6), deltoid, yellowish green, with a tuft of hairs arising on back of anthers
  • Disc ± flat, angled between stamens
  • Stamens 3 or 4, arising at base of perianth lobes, subtended by minute caducous bracts
  • Ovary fleshy; ovules 3 or 4; style simple; stigma 3- or 4-lobed
  • Fruit an ovoid or globose drupe, crowned with persistent perianth lobes, red purplish black, edible
  • Seed solitary; endosperm fleshy
  • x = 10 (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

  • Osyris L.
    • Linnaeus: 1022 (1753)
    • Linnaeus: 448 (1754)
    • Candolle: 632 (1857)
    • Bentham: 227 (1880)
    • Hieronymus: 218 (1889)
    • Baker & Hill: 433 (1911)
    • Hill: 208 (1915)
    • Pilger: 76 (1935)
    • Levyns: 332 (1950)
    • Stauffer: 388 (1961)
    • Roessler: 1 (1969)
    • Miller: 382 (1989)
    • Bean: 665 (1990)
    • Hilliard: 391 (1994)
    • Van Wyk & Van Wyk: 220, 352 (1997)
  • Colpoon P.J.Bergius
    • Bergius: 38, t. 1, fig. 1 (1767)
    • Bentham: 225 (1880)
    • Hieronymus: 217 (1889)
    • Hill: 209 (1915)
    • Pilger: 83 (1935)
    • Stauffer: 390 (1961)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species 9, throughout Africa, the Mediterranean area and S Asia
  • Southern Africa : Species 3, all countries and provinces except Northern Cape

References:

  • BAKER, J.G. & HILL, A.W. 1911. Santalaceae . Flora of tropical Africa 6,1
  • BEAN, P.A. 1990. The identity of Osyris abyssinica var. speciosa ( Santalaceae ). South African Journal of Botany 56
  • BENTHAM, G. 1880. Santalaceae . In G. Bentham & J.D. Hooker, Genera plantarum 3. Lovell Reeve & Co., London
  • BERGIUS, P.J. 1767. Descriptiones plantarum ex Capite Bonae Spei . Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • CANDOLLE, A.L.P.P. DE. 1857. Santalaceae . In A.P. de Candolle, Prodromus 14. Masson & Sons, Paris
  • HIERONYMUS, G. 1889. Santalaceae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien III,1
  • HILL, A.W. 1915. Santalaceae . Flora capensis 5,2
  • HILLIARD, O.M. 1994. A note on Colpoon ( Santalaceae ). Edinburgh Journal of Botany 51
  • LEVYNS, M.R. 1950. Santalaceae . In R.S. Adamson & T.M. Salter, Flora of the Cape Peninsula . Juta, Cape Town
  • LINNAEUS, C. 1753. Species plantarum . Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • LINNAEUS, C. 1754. Genera plantarum , edn 5. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • MILLER, A.G. 1989. Santalaceae . Flora of Ethiopia 3
  • PILGER, R. 1935. Santalaceae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien 2,16b
  • ROESSLER, H. 1969. Santalaceae . Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 21
  • STAUFFER, H.U. 1961. Santalales-Studien V-VIII. Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich 106
  • VAN WYK, B. [A.E.] & VAN WYK, P. 1997. Field guide to trees of southern Africa . Struik Publishers, Cape Town

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