Raphionacme velutina Schltr.

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Photo: Orty Bourquin
Modisa Wildlife Project,Grassland Game Farm, Ghanzi district.

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Synonyms:	Brachystelma viridiflorum Turrill Raphionacme burkei N.E. Br. Raphionacme dinteri Schinz
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Many-stemmed perennial herb, up to 20 cm high, growing from a spindle-shaped tuber. Stems up to 40 cm long, spreading horizontally, velvety especially when young, often purplish. Leaves opposite, mostly narrowly ovate-elliptic, 3-7 cm long, lamina folded lengthwise, mostly hairless above, dotted with reddish glands, densely velvety and with a purplish midrib below. Flowers in axillary compact c. 10-flowered clusters, densely velvety. Corolla lobes spreading, oblong-ovate, c. 4 × 2 mm, yellowish-green to green, often purplish at the base. Corona lobes 3-segmented; central segment longest and purple. Fruit in a single follicle, very narrowly obovoid, 5-9 cm long, tapering, curved.
Notes:	Bushman scrape the bulb (image 3) to clear an area from which the white flesh of the bulb is mashed out. The liquid is squeezed out in a clenched hand - the thumb is extended downward to direct the water into the drinkers mouth. It is said to be quite drinkable but very slightly bitter (Orty Bourquin 2015, pers. comm.)
Derivation of specific name:	velutina: velvety or velutinous, covered in dense soft short hairs.
Habitat:	In grassland and open woodland, mostly in drier areas.
Flowering time:	Oct - Dec
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and northern South Africa.
Botswana distribution:	N,SW,SE
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Monday 21 March 2016
Literature:	Bruyns, P.V. (2014). The Apocynaceae of Namibia Strelitzia 34 SANBI, Pretoria, South Africa Page 28. Goyder, D.J., Gilbert, M.G. & Venter, H.J.T. (2020). Apocynaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 7(2) Pages 39 - 40. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 66. as Raphionacme burkei Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 29. Venter, H.J.T. (2009). A Taxonomic revision of Raphionacme (Apocynaceae: Periplocoideae) South African Journal of Botany 75(2) Pages 340 - 342. (Includes a picture).

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Flora of Caprivi: Raphionacme velutina
Flora of Zambia: Raphionacme velutina
Flora of Zimbabwe: Raphionacme velutina

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Raphionacme velutina
African Plant Database: Raphionacme velutina
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Raphionacme velutina
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Raphionacme velutina
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Raphionacme velutina
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IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Raphionacme velutina
JSTOR Plant Science: Raphionacme velutina
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Raphionacme velutina
Plants of the World Online: Raphionacme velutina
Tropicos: Raphionacme velutina
Wikipedia: Raphionacme velutina