Ancylobothrys pumila K.Balkwill & R.A.Reddy
Indigenous Endemic

Morphological description

Geoxylic shrub, underground stems branching, spreading; above-ground stems mainly erect, 0.3-0.5 m high, occasionally creeping, with lenticels often obscured by white or rusty hairs. Leaves 36-59 x 14-26 mm, midrib whitish to cream above, secondary veins light to yellowish green above, dark green below, 2-5 mm apart, angle between the secondary and mid veins 60°; with white hairs on dorsal surface when very young, especially at apex, becoming glabrescent with age, rusty pubescent below when very young, especially on midrib and at apex, also becoming glabrescent with age; apex variable (rounded, acuminate or acute); margins slightly revolute, yellowish; base cuneate to slightly rounded; petiole 4-7 mm long, with white hairs, grooved above. Inflorescences in few-flowered axillary cymes, 16-50 mm long, only occasionally acting as tendrils, white pubescent, sometimes with rusty hairs basally; bracts small, triangular, with rounded apices. Calyx 3.0-6.0 x 2.0-3.5 mm; tube 1.5-3.0 mm long; lobes 2-3 mm long. Corolla tube 16-31 mm long, swollen to 1-3 mm wide slightly above base, then narrowing before widening to 2-6 mm at throat; lobes white without, white or sometimes pinkish with a dark pink midline within, 16-31 x 3.5-6 mm; margins with long white hairs, sometimes only sparsely so. Androecium anthers c. 2 mm long; filaments c. 2 mm long. Gynoecium stigma c. 2 mm long, apex bi-lobed; style c. 1.5 mm long; ovary densely white pubescent; ovules small, numerous. Fruit globose, velvety pubescent, 16-25 mm in diameter. Seeds whitish, flattened. From: Reddy, RA; Balkwill, K; Ralepele, F. 2020. A taxonomic revision of the genus Ancylobothrys (Apocynaceae, Plumerioidae) in South Africa, including the description of a new geoxylic species. S. African J. Bot. 130: 117-122. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.12.021] [Copyright held by the South African Association of Botanists (2020); http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0254629] [CC BY]

Diagnostic description

Diagnostic characters: Ancylobothrys pumilus differs from A. petersiana in having slightly shorter, narrower leaves (36-59 x 14-26 mm, not 49-80 x 16-30 mm as in A. petersiana), much shorter inflorescences (16-50 mm rather than 60-115 mm), which rarely act as tendrils; larger flowers (16-31 x 3.5-6 mm compared to 12.0-20.0 x 2.5-3.0) and a slightly longer style (1.5 mm versus 1.0 mm long). In addition, A. pumilus is an underground shrub with stems 0.3-0.5 m high that is endemic to the Maputaland Woody Grassland, whereas A. petersiana is a woody climber or scandent shrub with stems longer than 1 m, is more widespread and occurs in woodland, thickets and forest margins. A. capensis has smaller leaves (22-35 x 10-18 mm) than A. pumilus (36-59 x 14-26 mm), with secondary veins closer together and the angle between the secondary and mid-veins appearing to be close to 90° (rather than 60° as in A. pumilus). The distribution of A. capensis does not overlap with that of the new species. From: Reddy, RA; Balkwill, K; Ralepele, F. 2020. A taxonomic revision of the genus Ancylobothrys (Apocynaceae, Plumerioidae) in South Africa, including the description of a new geoxylic species. S. African J. Bot. 130: 117-122. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.12.021] [Copyright held by the South African Association of Botanists (2020); http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0254629] [CC BY]

Habitat

Confined to, but widespread, in the Maputaland Woody Grassland. From: Reddy, RA; Balkwill, K; Ralepele, F. 2020. A taxonomic revision of the genus Ancylobothrys (Apocynaceae, Plumerioidae) in South Africa, including the description of a new geoxylic species. S. African J. Bot. 130: 117-122. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.12.021] [Copyright held by the South African Association of Botanists (2020); http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0254629] [CC BY]

Distribution

Maputaland Woody Grassland. From: Reddy, RA; Balkwill, K; Ralepele, F. 2020. A taxonomic revision of the genus Ancylobothrys (Apocynaceae, Plumerioidae) in South Africa, including the description of a new geoxylic species. S. African J. Bot. 130: 117-122. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.12.021] [Copyright held by the South African Association of Botanists (2020); http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0254629] [CC BY]

Altitude

25 to 305 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
Ancylobothrys pumila K.Balkwill & R.A.Reddy

Published in: S. African J. Bot. 130: 120 (2019)

Nomenclature note: as 'pumilus'

Type: South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal: Northern KwaZulu-Natal, uMkhanyakude District, Sodwana Bay National Park/Isimangaliso National Park, 26 Aug 2016, K. Balkwill & L.C. Balkwill 13,827 (J, holo.; K, M, MO, PRE, RSA, iso.)

Synonym(s)

Classification

KINGDOM Plantae

SUBKINGDOM Phanerogamae

SPECIES pumila

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