Portulacaria pygmaea Pillans 1928

Publication Novitates Africanae, Journal of Botany 66: 195-196 (1928).

Synonyme de

Ceraria pygmaea (Pillans) G.D. Rowley 1996

Commentaires

Description originale:
"Portulacaria pygmaea Pillans (Portulacaceae). Fruticulus compactus glaber, copiose ramosus, ad 2 dm. altus, 3 dm. diam., caule erecto, basi robusto lignesoque. Rami teretes subcarnosi rigidi, subdichotome divisi, inferiores patentes, s++pe declinati, superiores patenti-decurvati, ramulis ultimis circa 2 mm. diam. Folia 1-1.4 cm. longa, 7-9 mm. lata, matura 3-4 mm. crassa, patentia sessilia cuneato-obovata, rotundata minuteque apiculata, carnosa sed tamen dura, aspera propter cellas elevatas rotundatas, glauco-viridia, demum lutescenti-viridia. Cyme terminales sessiles, 2-6 fl., bracteis rotundatis, ca 1 mm. longis, pedicellis 2-2.5 mm. longis, teretibus, leviter curvatis, gracilibus, parum supra basi+ articulatis, apice dilatatis concavisque. Calyx cum pedicillo articulatus; sepala 0.75 mm. longa, orbicularia vel apice breviter acuta, sub++++++++++, pallida purpurea (pale bestroot-red), opposita, corolla basia ample+++++++. Corolla 4 mm. diam.; petala 2 mm. longa, erecto-pat+++++, elliptica vel obovato-elliptica, obtusa, basi plana, superne concava, apice cucullata, tenuiter carnosa, marginibus submembranacea, nervo medio leviter prominente, alba more aquae (water-white), externe pallide roseo-suffusa. Stamina basi petalorum adnata; filamenta erecta obclavata, dorsaliter leviter compressa, pallida, 1 mm. longa; antherae omnes fertiles, medio affixae, versatiles oblongae. Ovarium 0.5 mm. longum, ovatum trigonum; stylum 0.25 mm. longum, teres, apice complanatum stigmatiferum minuteque papillatum.
Hab. Little Namaqualand: hills at Grootderm, Pillans, 5849. Described from a living plant flowering in my garden, February 1928. A very distinct species, remarkable for its dwarf habit and broad leaves."
(NDA: description extraite d'une mauvaise photocopie de l'originale: les + representent des lettres indéchiffrables, et de petites erreurs ne sont pas à exclure.)

Etymologie

Portulacaria: du latin -arius, appartenant à: en forme de Portulaca.
pygmaea: du latin pygmaeus, grand comme le poing: miniature.

Auteur

philippe (contacter)
Fiche créée le 04/08/2006.