Microdon dubius (L.) Hilliard

국표에는 없다.

On a still night at Phillipskop during spring, the air is filled with a beautiful but elusive scent. A cat’s tail would not be the first place one would go when hunting down such a scent, but in the fynbos that is one of the primary sources of night-time fragrance. The plant, for that is what the cat’s tail or katstert refers to in this case, is called Microdon dubius. It is easily overlooked during the day due to its small flowers and dull colours, but at night it comes into its own, surpassing many a more flamboyant flower. The common name cat’s tail is because it produces a very narrow long spike of flowers that, in someone’s eyes, was reminiscent of the tail of a contented cat poking up through the fynbos.

Microdon dubius is a member of the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. Members of this family have a tubular flower with 5 lobes at the end. In Microdon, the tube is very long compared with the size of the lobes. This narrow curved tube is perfect for moth pollination and the evening scent helps to attract the moths to the flowers. The flowers themselves do not particularly need colour but interestingly, although not colourful, they come in a surprising array of colour forms. The commonest forms are a creamy greenish white or a dark maroonish black. But between these two extremes many other colour forms exist, some tending towards dark red, while others have bicolored flowers with the central parts cream and the outer lobes dark. Usually several different colour forms exist within the same population.

Microdon dubius - Doubtfully Fragrant Cats' Tails (phillipskop.co.za)

Botanical name : Microdon dubius :

Family : Scrophulariaceae

Common Name : Cat's Tail

Synonym (old name) : Agathelpis dubia

Description

Densely leafy shrublet with wand-like, hairy stems up to 60cm. Leaves oblong-linear; bracts ovate, keeled; bears long spikes of yellow flowers, often with maroon to brown petals; 2 stamens.

Sharply scented at night, suggesting moth pollination.

Habitat ; Rocky, sandstone slopes

Flower Date : August to January

Microdon dubius (fernkloof.org.za)

https://youtu.be/0z6IaXr5ZHo