Phaeoptilum spinosum Radlk.

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Photo: Caroline Voget
Northern Tuli Conservation Area

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Synonyms:	Amphoranthus spinosus S.Moore Nachtigalia protectorata Schinz Phaeoptilum heimerlii Engl.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub up to 4 m tall. Bark greyish yellow to greyish brown. Lateral branchlets spine-like. Leaves sessile or subsessile, clustered, greyish green, linear, 5–35 mm long, Leathery, hairless to crisped pubescent. Flowers solitary or in few-flowered clusters, creamy greenish-yellowish, 6-8 mm long, crisped pubescent on the outside, scented. Fruits 4-winged, papery, yellowish green turning pink to brownish red with age.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	spinosum: spiny.
Habitat:	Woodland, riverbanks, grassland, along watercourses, usually in rocky, gravelly or sandy soils.
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
Botswana distribution:	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:	Wednesday 15 March 2023
Literature:	Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 200. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 89. Stannard, B.L. (1988). Nyctaginaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(1) Pages 27 - 28. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Phaeoptilum spinosum:

External websites:

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