Gnidia polycephala (E. Mey. ex Meisn.) Engl.

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Photo: Tony Benn
Serowe, Botswana

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Synonyms:	Anthrosolen polycephalus (E. Mey. ex Meisn.) C.A. Mey. Gnidia polyclada Gilg Lasiosiphon polycephalus (E. Mey. ex Meisn.) H. Pearson Passerina polycephala E. Mey ex Meisn.
Common names:	Karoo broom (English)
Frequency:	Common
Status:	Native
Description:	Virgate shrubby herb, 30-70 cm high, with many glaucous branches. Leaves alternate, scattered, quickly deciduous, subsessile, narrowly elliptic, linear, pale green or greyish green, hairless. Inflorescences pedunculate, terminal heads, usually 4-5-flowered, rarely up to 10. Involucral bracts overlapping, usually in 3 rows, more or less broadly ovate, 8-14 mm long, outermost usually smallest, appressed silky pubescent outside, cream, yellow or reddish brown, persistent.Flowers 5-merous, rarely 4-merous, yellow with a very pleasant scent; pedicels 1-2 mm long, densely silvery hairy. Calyx tube 12-20 mm long, with long silky hairs below; lobes round to to oblong, 2-4 mm long; petals absent. Fruit ovoid, c. 4 mm long.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	polycephala: with many heads.
Habitat:	In grasslands on red sands or black soil, often in severely overgrazed areas, sometimes in seasonally inundated areas.
Flowering time:	Most months.
Worldwide distribution:	Botswana, Namibia and 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 August 2023
Literature:	Peterson, B. (updated by Verdcourt, B.) (2006). Thymelaeaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(3) Pages 111 - 112. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 108.

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External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Gnidia polycephala
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Gnidia polycephala
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Gnidia polycephala
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Gnidia polycephala
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Gnidia polycephala
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Gnidia polycephala
JSTOR Plant Science: Gnidia polycephala
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Gnidia polycephala
Plants of the World Online: Gnidia polycephala
Tropicos: Gnidia polycephala
Wikipedia: Gnidia polycephala