PLANTAE / PHANEROGAMAE / ANTHOPHYTA / CARYOPHYLLALES / AIZOACEAE / RUSCHIOIDEAE / DROSANTHEMEAE / DROSANTHEMUM / VESPERTINUM

Drosanthemum vespertinum L.Bolus
LC Indigenous Endemic
Morphological description

Perennial, dwarf shrublet, up to 0.3 m high, stems laxly branched. Leaves opposite, subglobose to subcylindrical, bladder cells rounded, dull. Flowers solitary, white or pale pink. Flowering time Oct.-Apr. Capsules 5-locular, covering membranes complete, valve wings broad, expanding keels diverging, closing body absent. From: Burgoyne, PM; Bredenkamp, CL. 2019. Aizoaceae: Drosanthemum Schwantes. In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1): 225-227. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Plants erect. Laxly branched, papillate shrublet to 30 cm. Leaves subglobose to subcylindrical. Flowers to 14 mm diam., white or pale pink, opening in late afternoon. Fruits 5-locular, false septa only partly developed. From: Klak, C. 2012. Aizoaceae: Drosanthemum Schwantes. In: J Manning & P Goldblatt (eds), Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape flora. Strelitzia 29: 275-280. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Habitat

Flats or hills of karoo sediments. Eastern Fynbos-Renosterveld, Rainshadow Valley Karoo. From: Burgoyne, PM; Bredenkamp, CL. 2019. Aizoaceae: Drosanthemum Schwantes. In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1): 225-227. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Uncertain. From: Klak, C. 2012. Aizoaceae: Drosanthemum Schwantes. In: J Manning & P Goldblatt (eds), Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape flora. Strelitzia 29: 275-280. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Distribution

Loeriesfontein to Karoopoort, Little Karoo to Prince Albert. From: Klak, C. 2012. Aizoaceae: Drosanthemum Schwantes. In: J Manning & P Goldblatt (eds), Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape flora. Strelitzia 29: 275-280. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]

Flowering time

July

Altitude

500 to 980 m

Occurrence records map

This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations

iNaturalist: BODATSA: Data partners records:

Residence status

Occurrence in the Flora of Southern Africa (FSA) countries and South African provinces. Residence status indicates if a taxon is indigenous, endemic, naturalised or invasive in a specific region. This data is based on specimen records and literature

FSA

SA

BOT

NAM

ESW

LES

WC

EC

NC

FS

GA

KZN

LP

MP

NW

Absent

Indigenous

Endemic

Naturalised

Invasive

Names and Sources

Accepted name
Drosanthemum vespertinum L.Bolus

Published in: Notes Mesembryanthemum [H.M.L. Bolus] 2: 184 (1930)

Synonym(s)

Drosanthemum vespertinum L.Bolus var. suffusum L.Bolus

Published in: Notes Mesembryanthemum [H.M.L. Bolus] 2: 249(1931)


Classification

KINGDOM Plantae

SUBKINGDOM Phanerogamae

PHYLUM Anthophyta

ORDER Caryophyllales

FAMILY Aizoaceae

SUBFAMILY Ruschioideae

TRIBE Drosanthemeae

GENUS Drosanthemum

SPECIES vespertinum

6 results for Drosanthemum vespertinum L.Bolus

Narrow your results

Narrow your results

Specimen records

Barcode: NBG0127114-0 Collector(s) & number: Van Jaarsveld, EJ, s.n. | 1983-5-18

South Africa, Eastern Cape, Steytlerville. Boskloof farm. Witpantjie (Baviaanskloof)

General notes: Succulent mountain scrub (Spekboomveld) Acocks veldtype No. 25. Succulent herb. Flat area.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: PRE0588691-0 Collector(s) & number: Burgoyne, PM, 9650 | 2003-8-31

South Africa, Northern Cape, Sutherland District: ± 18km north of Sutherland below Snyders Poort.

General notes: Moderate slope. Forming rounded bushes with procumbent branches. Flowers absent, fruit present.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: PRE0714918-0 Collector(s) & number: Braack, AL, 57 | 1983-9-15

South Africa, Western Cape, BEAUFORT WEST DIST.; KAROO NAT. PARK; BOESMANKLIPPE K7D

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Observation records

Date: 12/10/2012 12:00:00 AM

Western Cape

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 11/6/2021 6:41:48 PM

Western Cape, South Africa

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 5/16/2023 11:18:00 AM

Western Cape

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Plant occurence records per dataset

Plant occurence records per year

Occurrence records map

This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations

iNaturalist: BODATSA: Data partners records:

2019

SERIES CHAPTER

Aizoaceae: Drosanthemum Schwantes Burgoyne, PM; Bredenkamp, CL

In: CL Bredenkamp (ed.), A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41(1)225-227

South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

2012

SERIES CHAPTER

Aizoaceae: Drosanthemum Schwantes Klak, C

In: J Manning & P Goldblatt (eds), Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape flora. Strelitzia 29: 275-280

South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

2001

BOOK

Illustrated handbook of succulent plants: Aizoaceae A-E Hartmann, HEKO

Springer, New York

No results found for Drosanthemum vespertinum L.Bolus

Status

Global

Status and criteria

LC

Assessment date

2016-01-14

Assessor(s)

Plantae Coordinator

Distribution

Range

This species has been recorded from southern and northern Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and the extreme northeastern regions of South Africa. One specimen is known from Chicoa in Mozambique but is probably more widespread along the Limpopo, Save and Zambezi valleys (Cotterill 2013). Similarly, one specimen has been recorded from southwestern Tanzania (Cotterill 2013). It is generally a lowland species (ACR 2015). In the assessment region, it occurs in the extreme northern areas of Limpopo (Limpopo valley) in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park and Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area, with an estimated extent of occurrence of 8,922 km².

Habitat and ecology

Major system

Terrestrial

Major habitats

It occurs in semi-arid and moist woodland savannahs (including miombo and mopane woodlands) where suitable day-roosts are available (Cotterill 2013). The natural history of this species is not well-known. It roosts in hollow trees (particularly Baobabs <em>Adansonia digitata</em> and Sausage Trees <em>Kigelia africana</em>), sandstone caves, rock fissures, mine adits and buildings (Ansell 1967; Cotterill 1996, 2013; Skinner and Chimimba 2005). Although the type specimen from Zambia was collected at 1,250 m asl, this species is typically restricted to an altitude below 1,000 m asl (Meester <em>et al.</em> 1986). It lives in colonies of up to 40 individuals (Monadjem <em>et al.</em> 2010). In the assessment area, the species is recorded from the Mopane Bioregion. <br/><br/>Like the other Nycteris species, the Wood’s Slit-faced Bat is a clutter forager, mainly feeding on Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera (Monadjem <em>et al.</em> 2010). Its short, broad wings allow for manoeuvrable flight patterns (Monadjem <em>et al.</em> 2010). Although limited data are available on the reproductive ecology of this species, it seems to be a summer breeder (Monadjem <em>et al.</em> 2010). <br/><br/><strong>Ecosystem and cultural services</strong>: As this species is insectivorous, it may contribute to controlling insect populations (Boyles <em>et al. </em>2011, Kunz <em>et al.</em> 2011). Bats often prey on the insect species that destroy crops (Boyles <em>et al.</em> 2011, Kunz <em>et al.</em> 2011). Ensuring a healthy population of insectivorous bats can thus result in a decrease in the use of pesticides.

Threats

No major threats have been identified for this species within the assessment region. Although much of this species range in the assessment region is within protected regions in the Limpopo Province, roost sites outside of these reserves may be impacted by human disturbance (as caves are frequently utilised during traditional ceremonies and ecotourism) and habitat loss due to agricultural expansion (particularly cotton farming). Pesticide use and the loss of hollow Baobabs used as roosts are likely to cause local population decline (Cotterill 2013).

Population

Population trend

The abundance of this species is not well known. It is considered one of the rarest African nycterids (Van Cakenberghe and De Vree 1985), and is poorly represented in museums with only <em>c.</em> 50 specimens examined in Monadjem <em>et al.</em> (2010). However, it is locally common in Zimbabwe, especially in the low-lying valleys of the Limpopo, Save and Zambezi rivers and tributaries (Cotterill 1996). It has been recorded in colonies of a few dozen up to 40 individuals (Monadjem <em>et al.</em> 2010), otherwise animals have been recorded individually (ACR 2015). This species is difficult to monitor because it avoids mist nets and cannot be monitored acoustically because it is a whispering bat.

Bibliography

JOURNAL ARTICLE
Pinhey, E. 1965. Odonata from Luanda and the Lucala River, Angola. Revista de Biologia, Lisboa. 5:159-164

JOURNAL ARTICLE
Pinhey, E. 1975. A collection of Odonata from Angola. Arnoldia. 23:1–16

JOURNAL ARTICLE
Pinhey, E. 1976. Dragonflies (Odonata) of Botswana, with ecological notes. Occasional papers of the national Museums and Monuments of Rhodesia, Series B. 5:524-601

JOURNAL ARTICLE
Dijkstra, K.-D.B. and Clausnitzer, V. 2005. An annotated checklist of the dragonflies (Odonata) of eastern Africa, with critical lists for Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda, new records, taxonomic notes and descriptions of new species. in prep.

Part(s) of plant used Use(s) Reference

Coming soon...