Seemannaralia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wild-maple
Seemannaralia gerrardii00, white background.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Araliaceae
Subfamily: Aralioideae
Genus: Seemannaralia
R.Vig.
Species:
S. gerrardii
Binomial name
Seemannaralia gerrardii
(Seem.) R.Vig.
Synonyms[1]
  • Cussonia gerrardii Seem.
  • Panax gerrardii (Seem.) Harv.

Seemannaralia gerrardii, commonly known as the wild-maple or mock carrot tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae. It is the sole member of genus Seemannaralia, and is endemic to South Africa, where it occurs in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.[2] It was originally included in genus Cussonia. Seemann- and gerrardii commemorate Berthold Seemann and William Gerrard respectively, while -aralia suggests the family or its type genus, Aralia.[3]

Description[]

A short squat tree of open rocky situations, or a tall tree of forest and forest edge.[3] The rough grey bark is deeply cracked. As with genus Cussonia the leaves are clustered at the ends of branches. The leaf shape is characteristic: maple-like, palmate and 3 to 7 lobed.[3] Leaves turn yellow in autumn.

Flowers and fruit[]

The small, yellowish green flowers are produced in autumn,[3] in axillary and terminal panicles of umbels.[4] The oval flower petals have an intricate estivation.[5] The superior ovary is 1[6] or 2-locular,[4] and much compressed laterally.[5] The purplish drupes appear in winter. They are of a flattened, elliptic shape, with lateral veins.[3]

Gallery[]

  • Panicle of flower umbels

  • Close-up of two flower umbels

External links[]

  1. ^ "Seemannaralia gerrardii (Seem.) R.Vig". The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. theplantlist.org. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  2. ^ Foden, W.; Potter, L. (2005). "Seemannaralia gerrardii (Seem.) Harms". Red List of South African Plants version 2017.1. SANBI. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e Schmidt, Ernst; Lötter, Mervyn; McCleland, Warren (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park. Johannesburg: Jacana Media. p. 488. ISBN 9781919777306.
  4. ^ a b "Araliaceae - Seemannaralia R.Vig". Keys to Flora of Southern Africa. SANBI. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b Hooker, Joseph Dalton (1884). Cussonia gerrardi, Seem. Hooker's Icones Plantarum. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  6. ^ Takhtajan, Armen (2009). Flowering plants (2nd ed.). Dordrecht: Springer. p. 474. ISBN 9781402096099.
Stub icon

This Araliaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""