PLANTAE / PHANEROGAMAE / ANTHOPHYTA / FABALES / FABACEAE / PAPILIONOIDEAE / PSORALEEAE / PSORALEA / OTHOLOBIUM / NITENS

Psoralea nitens (C.H.Stirt. & Muasya) C.H.Stirt.
Indigenous Endemic
Morphological description

An erect, densely branched, somewhat cylindrical shrub up to 150 cm tall. Stems 1 - many, pubescent, nitid when villous, internodes short. Leaves digitately trifoliolate, petiolate, ascending, aggregated at the ends of short seasonal shoots. Leaflets 20-30(-35) x 3-3.5(-11) mm; laterals arcuate, asymmetrical, about 2/3 the length of the terminal leaflet; narrowly obovate to obovate, recurved-mucronate, base cuneate, margin finely crenate; surface nitid, densely glandular, glands either sunken or evident only as bumps on the surface, pellucid, drying blackish or reddish brown, glabrous, young leaflets prominently appressed sericeous along midrib and margins; petiole 3.5-4 mm long, persistent after leaf abscission; petiolules 1 mm long. Stipules 3-5 x 3 mm, longer than petioles, obliquely ovate-lanceolate to triangular, striate, membranous, glandular, clasping, pubescent. Inflorescences in axils of short shoots, pedunculate, pedicellate; peduncle 5-7 mm long, comprised of a single triplet of flowers; the triplet subtended by an ovate, 5 x 4 mm, black-haired, glandular bract. Flowers 11-13 mm long, mauve to dark purple. Calyx lobes unequal, 10-12 mm long; much longer than the tube; teeth 6-8 mm long; carinal tooth 6-7 mm wide, 3-4 times wider than other teeth; glabrous except for appressed black hairs along the veins and margins. Standard 12-13 x 7-8 mm, oblong to elliptic, mauve with large purple central nectar guide and veins; scarcely auriculate; claw 2 mm long; apex emarginate, glabrous. Wing petals 13 x 3 mm, claw 3 mm long; twice as long and enclosing keel blades; sculpturing upper basal and left central, comprised of up to 20 transcostal lamellae; tips billowy. Keel petals 6.5-7 x 2 mm, claw 2-2.5 mm long, apex slightly beaked. Androecium 6.5-7 mm long, vexillary stamen fused to lower =3 of adaxially split sheath, anthers 1-2 mm long, equal. Pistil 6-7 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long, sparsely glandular; height of curvature 1.5 mm; stigma penicillate. Fruits 5 x 3 mm, papery, reticulate, glabrous. Seeds 4-5 x 2-3 mm, chestnut brown, hilum central. From: Stirton, CH; Muasya, AM. 2017. Ten new species and a new record for the genus Otholobium (Psoraleeae, Leguminosae) from South Africa. Kew Bull. 72: 1-27. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-017-9722-5] [All rights reserved] As: Otholobium nitens C.H.Stirt. & Muasya

Diagnostic description

It is Characterised by having numerous dense and variously-sized internal pellucid leaf glands, drying black (vs leaf glands more or less evenly sized, drying reddish orange, sparse), narrower, 3-3.5 (- 11) mm wide leaflets (vs broader, (7-11 mm wide leaflets), mauve or bluish purple standard with deep purple nectar guide (vs white standard with green nectar guide), carinal tooth of the calyx black-haired and 3x broader than other teeth (vs carinal tooth white-haired and 2x broader than other teeth), and the wing petals twice as long as the keel petals (vs wing petals one third longer than keel petals). From: Stirton, CH; Muasya, AM. 2017. Ten new species and a new record for the genus Otholobium (Psoraleeae, Leguminosae) from South Africa. Kew Bull. 72: 1-27. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-017-9722-5] [All rights reserved] As: Otholobium nitens C.H.Stirt. & Muasya

Habitat

Mesic mountain fynbos, usually on steep rocky slopes. From: Stirton, CH; Muasya, AM. 2017. Ten new species and a new record for the genus Otholobium (Psoraleeae, Leguminosae) from South Africa. Kew Bull. 72: 1-27. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-017-9722-5] [All rights reserved] As: Otholobium nitens C.H.Stirt. & Muasya

Distribution

Africa: South Africa, Western Cape. The greatest concentration of this species occurs in the Slanghoek, Du Toits Kloof, and Wemmershoek Mountains. From: Stirton, CH; Muasya, AM. 2017. Ten new species and a new record for the genus Otholobium (Psoraleeae, Leguminosae) from South Africa. Kew Bull. 72: 1-27. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-017-9722-5] [All rights reserved] As: Otholobium nitens C.H.Stirt. & Muasya

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
Psoralea nitens (C.H.Stirt. & Muasya) C.H.Stirt.

Published in: Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 200(1): 68 (2022)

Type: South Africa, Western Cape, between Krom Rivier Peak and Krom Rivier Dome, Krom Rivier Kloof, 10 Oct. 1963, Esterhuysen 30375 (BOL, holo.; K, MO, NBG, iso.)

Synonym(s)

Otholobium nitens C.H.Stirt. & Muasya

Published in: Kew Bull. 72(4)-50: 3 (2017)

Type: South Africa, Western Cape Province, between Krom Rivier Peak and Krom Rivier Dome, Krom Rivier Kloof, 10 Oct. 1963, Esterhuysen 30375 (BOL, holo.; K, MO, NBG, iso.)


Classification

KINGDOM Plantae

SUBKINGDOM Phanerogamae

PHYLUM Anthophyta

ORDER Fabales

FAMILY Fabaceae

SUBFAMILY Papilionoideae

TRIBE Psoraleeae

GENUS Psoralea

SUBGENUS Otholobium

SPECIES nitens

13 results for Psoralea nitens (C.H.Stirt. & Muasya) C.H.Stirt.

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Specimen records

Barcode: NBG1548276-0 Collector(s) & number: Helme, NA, 9719 | 2019-11-18

South Africa, Western Cape, Southeast ledges at base Observation Pk; Slanghoek Mountains.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: PRE0750548-0 Collector(s) & number: Esterhuysen, EE, 34159 | 1975-12-16

South Africa, Western Cape, PAARL DISTRICT; HAELHOEK SNEEUKOP; On broad sloping ledge on cliffs below shale band & above Donker Kloof.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: NBG0015923-0 Collector(s) & number: Rycroft, HB, 1453 | 1952-11-30

South Africa, Western Cape, Caledon Dist. Kogelberg Forest Reserve.

General notes: Alt. 3800 ft. Occasional. Blue flowers. Shrub grows up to 1 m tall.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: NBG0120759-0 Collector(s) & number: Esterhuysen, EE, 30375 | 1963-10-10

South Africa, Western Cape, Paarl Div. Krom River. Kloof between Krom River Peak and Krom River Dome.

General notes: Alt. 3000 ft. Above the stream. Grows up to 5 ft tall fairly narrow shrubs. Petals are pale blue. Standard with dark violet-blue median blotch.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: NBG0207382-0 Collector(s) & number: Helme, NA, 2701 | 2003-7-7

South Africa, Western Cape, Robertson. ±10 km NW of Robertson on upper S slopes of Tierberg, above Sandrivier Farm.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: NBG0207387-0 Collector(s) & number: Helme, NA, 2962 | 2004-3-22

South Africa, Western Cape, Worcester. Slanghoek Mountains, nek between Slanghoek Pile and Groot Wellington Sneeukop.

General notes: Fynbos biome. Mountain peak. Well-drained, loam soil. Shale. Partial shade. S aspect. Gentle slope. No biotic effect seen. Reseeding shrub. Flowers and fruit absent. Plant height 0.6 m. Locally common on shale band saddle. N & S slopes. Veld ±8 years old. Rainfall probably >2800mm/a.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: NBG0249872-0 Collector(s) & number: Helme, NA, 3169 | 2004-12-11

South Africa, Western Cape, Paarl. Du Toits kloof, upper slopes of Witteberg about 2.5 km NW of hotel.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: PRE0783144-0 Collector(s) & number: Viviers, M, 821 | 1982-11-28

South Africa, Western Cape, Somerset West Sneeukop Bottom of mountain

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Barcode: NBG0265424-0 Collector(s) & number: Kerfoot, O, K5523 | 1965-12-

South Africa, Western Cape, Stellenbosch Dist. Jonkershoek. Langrivier.

General notes: Alt. 2500 ft. Common and widespread. Stocky shrublet with gland dotted aromatic leaves and light bluish-mauve flowers.

Data Resource: BODATSA View record

Observation records

Date: 1/30/2016 12:00:00 AM

Western Cape

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 8/17/2012 12:00:00 AM

Western Cape

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 4/14/2018 10:45:00 AM

Western Cape

Data Resource: iNaturalist View record

Date: 11/18/2019 1:11:00 PM

Western Cape, South Africa

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:

2022

PERIODICAL/JOURNAL

Phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of Psoraleeae (Fabaceae) Bello, A; Stirton, CH; Chimphango, SBM; Muasya, AM

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 200: 39-74

2017

PERIODICAL/JOURNAL

Ten new species and a new record for the genus Otholobium (Psoraleeae, Leguminosae) from South Africa Stirton, CH; Muasya, AM

Kew Bulletin 72: 1-27

2012

SERIES CHAPTER

Fabaceae: Otholobium C.H.Stirt. Stirton, CH; Schutte, AL

In: J Manning & P Goldblatt (eds), Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape flora. Strelitzia 29: 566-569

South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

No results found for Psoralea nitens (C.H.Stirt. & Muasya) C.H.Stirt.

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