Oxygonum dregeanum Meisn.

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol. 9, Part 3. Polygonaceae-Myriaceae. Pope GV, Polhill RM, Martins ES. 2006.

Stem

Stem erect ascending or sparingly branched or much branched from the base, slightly angular, longitudinally ridged, glabrous to puberulous or retrorsely hispidulous, up to 50 cm or more Stem erect ascending or sparingly branched or much branched from the base, slightly angular, longitudinally ridged, glabrous to puberulous or retrorsely hispidulous, up to 50 cm or more. Stem up to 50 cm tall, ± erect, rarely decumbent

Leaves

Leaves subsessile, linear to elliptic, lanceolate, ovate or obovate, simple to deeply linear-lobed, sometimes pinnately or bipinnately lobed, each lobe ending in a large slender tip, attenuate at the base into a short petiole Leaves subsessile, linear to elliptic, lanceolate, ovate or obovate, simple to deeply linear-lobed, sometimes pinnately or bipinnately lobed, each lobe ending in a large slender tip, attenuate at the base into a short petiole. Leaves sessile; lamina 15–65(70) × (1)2–20(26) mm, fleshy, linear, lanceolate, entire or with 3–9 lobes or pinnately or bipinnately lobed Leaves deeply divided into 3–9 lobes, with the lower lobes shallowly divided again.

Ocrea

Ocrea 4–8 mm long, membranous, lobed, with the lobes ending in slender setae, hairy outside Ocrea 4–8 mm long, membranous, lobed, with the lobes ending in slender setae, hairy outside. Ocrea up to 5 mm long, lobed, ± strigose outside; lobes ending in slender red setae, ± as long as the tubular part

Flowers

Flowers 2–4, pedicellate in the axil of bracts, arranged in terminal and lateral spiciform racemes up to 20 cm long; pedicels up to 7 mm long, articulated near the apex, glabrous or pubescent; bracts 3–4 mm long, cup-shaped, membranous, ± hairy outside Hermaphrodite flowers heterostylous; perianth tubular, 5-lobed; lobes white or pale pink, tinged with pink or wine-red Male flowers present, often solitary; filaments c. 3 mm long Flowers 2–4, pedicellate in the axil of bracts, arranged in terminal and lateral spiciform racemes up to 20 cm long; pedicels up to 7 mm long, articulated near the apex, glabrous or pubescent; bracts 3–4 mm long, cup-shaped, membranous, ± hairy outside. Flowers 1–3 in fascicles in axils of cuspidate bracts, forming a long lax raceme Hermaphrodite flowers heterostylous; perianth tubular, 5-lobed; lobes white or pale pink, tinged with pink or wine-red. Male flowers present, often solitary; filaments c. 3 mm long.

Filaments

Filaments 3–5 mm long, filiform; anthers c. 1 mm long, oblong, reddish-brown or blue

Ovary

Ovary bluntly trigonous; styles of the long-styled flowers 2.5–5.5 mm long; styles of the short-styled flowers 1–1.5(2) mm long, united for two-thirds of their length

Fruits

Nut 7–12 × 2–4 mm, ovoid-oblong, broadest below the middle, trigonous, longitudinally ridged, wrinkled between the ridges, sometimes with small spines, blunt teeth or wings on the angles near the base, glabrous to puberulous. Nut 7–12 × 2–4 mm, ovoid-oblong, broadest below the middle, trigonous, longitudinally ridged, wrinkled between the ridges, sometimes with small spines, blunt teeth or wings on the angles near the base, glabrous to puberulous. Nut 10 × 5 mm, ovoid, sometimes with a spine one-third of the way from the base, slightly puberulous.

Note

This complex is very variable, varying in habit, size, shape and divisions of leaf, fringes of the ocrea, size and colour of flowers, degree of polygamy, shape of fruit, etc. We follow the treatment given by Germishuizen in Bothalia 18: 173–181 (1988). Subsp. dregeanum is restricted to the coast and midlands of KwaZulu-Natal and adjacent parts of the Eastern Cape Province (Transkei).

Habit

Perennial ± erect herb; leaves 25–40 × 2–5 mm, linear to narrowly elliptic, entire on the margins, rarely with very rudimentary lobes near the base; inflorescence a long slender terminal or axillary raceme Short or long and robust perennial herb, arising from a woody rootstock. Perennial herb much branched from a thick vertical woody stock Short or long and robust perennial herb, arising from a woody rootstock

Ecology

Banks of water courses, grasslands, sandy and dry soils; c. 1100–1400 m.

Distribution

BOT N, ZIM W, ZIM C, ZIM E, ZIM S Botswana Also in South Africa (Northern Cape, North-West, Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Free State Provinces). Zimbabwe

Male

Male flowers present, often solitary; filaments c. 3 mm long.

Hermaphrodite

Hermaphrodite flowers heterostylous; perianth tubular, 5-lobed; lobes white or pale pink, tinged with pink or wine-red. Filaments 3–5 mm long, filiform; anthers c. 1 mm long, oblong, reddish-brown or blue. Ovary bluntly trigonous; styles of the long-styled flowers 2.5–5.5 mm long; styles of the short-styled flowers 1–1.5(2) mm long, united for two-thirds of their length.

Stamens

Filaments 3–5 mm long, filiform; anthers c. 1 mm long, oblong, reddish-brown or blue.

Pistil

Ovary bluntly trigonous; styles of the long-styled flowers 2.5–5.5 mm long; styles of the short-styled flowers 1–1.5(2) mm long, united for two-thirds of their length.