Plumbago auriculata

Cape Plumbago ( Plumbago auriculata ), flowers

The Cape Plumbago ( Plumbago auriculata, Syn. Plumbago capensis Thunb ) is a South African plant of the genus Plumbago ( Plumbago ), which has now found as an ornamental plant worldwide distribution.

Description

In the Cape Plumbago is an approximately 2-4 m high shrub. Its branches are decumbent to overhanging or climbing. The bright green, alternate, short -stalked leaves are ganzrandigen and 3-9 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. The petioles are at the base öhrchenartig winged (hence the scientific species name auriculata ). Be found on the underside of leaves numerous small, whitish scales, which separates lime glands arise ( to prevent evaporation ).

The light blue flowers appear mainly in summer and are in terminal, something einseitswendigen ears. From the tubed calyx, which is manned with stalked, sticky glands that protrude beyond the petals with long, narrow tube and a five-section, flat hem forth.

The fruit is a capsule fünfklappige.

Distribution and ecology

The Cape Plumbago is native to South Africa. Their range extends from the southern Cape region as far as the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu -Natal. In addition, it is found in Gauteng and adjacent areas of the Free State and North West Province. Furthermore, there is an isolated occurrence in Mpumalanga.

Typically, the species grows in bushes and thickets. The flowering plant is visited by various butterflies. Its leaves are used for caterpillar of Cyclyrius pirithous as food.

Conversely catch the sticky sepals sometimes animals up to the size of a housefly. It is believed that the living today Plumbago species are very similar to the first ancestors of Drosera and other carnivorous plants.

As an ornamental plant Plumbago auriculata is now in the tropics and subtropics (among the Mediterranean ) widespread. In Central Europe it is cultivated as a container plant (often as high strain), but is not frost hardy.

Varieties

There are several varieties, including " Royal Cape " ( blooming in darker blue ) and the white-flowered and niedrigwüchsigere "Alba".

Use

In the homeland of the plant is their press juice, which stains the skin blue-gray, used for tattoos.

Source

• Andreas Bärtels: Color Atlas tropical plants. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1989, ISBN 3-8001-3448-9.
• W. J. Beal: Carnivorous Plants. In: American Naturalist. 10, 1876, ISSN 0003-0147, pp. 588-591.
• Jan Schlauer: " New " data Relating to the evolution and phylogeny of some carnivorous plant families. In: Carnivorous Plant Newsletter. 26, 1997, ISSN 0190-9215, pp. 34-38.