Penaea mucronata L.

국표에 없다.

Penaeaceae-국표에는 없는 과다.

A resprouting shrub, with branches coppicing from a woody base, triangular leaves and yellow to red flowers in spring and summer; found in fynbos, and common in frequently burned fynbos vegetation.

Penaea mucronata is an erect or ascending, multi-branched shrub, with an average height of 300–800 mm, occasionally up to 1 m, depending on where it is growing. It tends to grow taller if it grows on rocky, steep slopes, in areas that have been frequently burned, or where there is less competition with other plants for nutrients and moisture. The above-ground stems are destroyed when burnt, and then, from the woody base, new lateral branches will form. Its juvenile branches are slender and relatively covered with unicellular, conical, peg-like small hairs or protuberances (papillae).

Penaea mucronata leaves are slightly triangular (heart- to lance-shaped), ovate, imbricate, glossy, thick and smooth, growing directly from the stem (sessile). They are variable in size, 3.0–8.0 × 2.5–6.0 mm below the inflorescence while on the thicker branches they are 12.5 × 9.0 mm or more. Their tips point outwards, with alternate and opposite pairs closely arranged around the stem, giving the stems a squared look. The leaf base is slightly cordate or rounded and the leaf apex relatively rigid, acuminate or less upcurved, nonetheless the apical half of the leaf is rarely closely flat, laterally incurved or keeled strongly. There are many stomata on the lower surface of the leaf, while the upper surface has none. The leaf size also depends on the environmental conditions, i.e. nutrient competition and moisture. Leaves growing on branches shooting after fire are, on average, twice as broad and as long as those growing on branches on normal growth i.e. not after fire.

This species flowers in spring and summer (from September to February). The inflorescence is a short spike of 4-petalled, yellow to red flowers at the ends of the branches. With or without terminal flowers, the terminal spike is slightly, shortly cylindrical, compact or ovate, with bracts which are rhombic or ovate and have pale, broad, occasionally bright reddish and frequently incurved sides. The lower bracts are 5.0–8.5 mm long and 5.0–9.5 mm broad with the upper bracts narrower. Penaea mucronata has slightly convex or incurved, acuminate or apiculate, linear bracteoles, which are pale yellowish or frequently bright reddish. The bracteoles of the upper flowers are smaller than those of the lower flowers, which are 3.0–4.5 mm long and 0.6–1.2 mm broad.

Penaea mucronata flowers have a very short pedicel. The perianth is erect, about 4.0–6.2 mm long, acute or subobtuse (not tapering or subulate) with a campanulate to cylindrical tube and triangular lobes. The perianth is pale, dull yellow, frequently purplish before it starts flowering. Stamens are free, filaments are 0.2–0.4 mm long, broadest in the basal part, with the connective body quadrate to broadly rectangular-ovate (1.4–2.1 mm long and 1.2–2.1 mm broad) and its apex slightly emarginated or sunken with sides turning inwards during and before it starts flowering. The style has 4 longitudinal, membranous wings and is cruciform at the tip. Fruit is a capsule, walls 5.0–6.5 mm long including style base and stipe and the seeds are 2.7 mm long.

Penaea mucronata | PlantZAfrica (sanbi.org)

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